China-Taiwan Essay, Research Paper

After the fall of the Qing Empire, nationalists, known as the KMT established the Republic of China. However the KMT was rife with corruption, and a new faction inspired by Russian communist ideology soon emerged to struggle for power. After World War II, the clash between the KMT and the communists continued. The Communists steadily gained ground until 1949, when Chiang Kai-Shek and his followers were forced to flee to Taiwan, which was then called Formosa. Mao proclaimed China as the People’s Republic of China while Chiang and the KMT declared themselves to be the true, but exiled, government of the Republic of China.

As a result, the PRC maintains to this day that Taiwan is not an independent nation, but rather a renegade province that still falls under the rule of mainland China.

From an historical viewpoint, the majority of Taiwanese feels that they are not and have never truly been under Chinese rule. The facts are that most people in Taiwan were born on the island and thus now feel little or no connection to the mainland. Furthermore, Taiwan has flourished during the last half century. When compared to China’s record of human rights abuses, Taiwan’s espousal of democratic ideals increases the disparity between the two nations even more and gives Taiwan less incentive to desire reunification on ideological grounds. There has not been a proposed resolution set, but with the ongoing talks and support of the U.S., Taiwan will most likely be seeking complete separation.