The Complex History Behind the Taiwan-China Relationship

The Origins of the Dispute

The origins of the dispute between Taiwan and China can be traced back to the late 19th century. In 1895, China ceded Taiwan to Japan after losing the first Sino-Japanese War. Taiwan remained under Japanese rule for 50 years until 1945, when Japan was defeated in World War II and forced to return administrative control of Taiwan back to China. However, China was in the midst of a devastating civil war between the ruling nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party and the communist insurgency led by Mao Zedong.

The Chinese Civil War and the Retreat to Taiwan

As the Chinese Civil War intensified in the late 1940s, the KMT found itself losing ground to communist forces. By 1949, Mao had established control of mainland China and founded the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The defeated KMT, led by Chiang Kai-shek, was forced to retreat from the mainland to Taiwan. From there, Chiang declared Taiwan the temporary capital of the Republic of China (ROC) and vowed to one day retake the mainland from the “communist bandits.” Meanwhile, the PRC viewed Taiwan as a rogue province and aimed to bring it back under Beijing’s control to complete unification.

A Frozen Conflict and Division of China

The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 resulted in the United States providing military assistance to Taiwan in its ongoing civil war against mainland China. This effectively put the conflict between the ROC and PRC on hold, dividing China between two rival governments who both claimed sovereignty over the entire nation. Over the following decades, Taiwan transitioned to a democratic system of government while the PRC established authoritarian communist rule on the mainland under Mao. The status of Taiwan remained an unresolved territorial dispute between two Chinese states.

The Rise of a Separate Taiwanese Identity

As Taiwan developed economically and democratically distinct from the PRC in the post-WWII period, a new generation of Taiwanese began embracing a separate identity unique from mainland China. Younger Taiwanese increasingly identified more as “Taiwanese” rather than “Chinese” given they or their parents had been born on the island rather than fleeing the mainland in 1949. The notion of Taiwan as a self-governing, independent entity rather than a Chinese province gained ground. This trended accelerated in the 1990s with the first democratic presidential elections in Taiwan and rise of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Beijing’s “One China” Policy and Use of Force Threats

In response to growing Taiwanese identity sentiments, Beijing issued its famous “One China” principle - that there is only one Chinese nation and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, regardless of which government controls it. The PRC refuses any notion of Taiwanese independence and maintains the right to use military force, if needed, to prevent such an outcome. Beijing demands all countries maintain a “One China” policy in order to recognize the PRC rather than the ROC. This remains a key non-negotiable red line for mainland China regarding Taiwan’s political status.

Modern Cross-Strait Relations and Tensions

In the modern era, cross-strait relations have fluctuated from periods of rapprochement to heightened tensions. The election of DPP governments skeptical of unification concepts in Taiwan have prompted increased shows of force by Beijing’s military around the island. Meanwhile, growing US security support for Taiwan’s de facto independent status also inflames mainland ire. Beijing hopes to eventually bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control through economic and diplomatic inducements rather than military action if possible. But it refuses to renounce force and any permanent declaration of Taiwan’s independence would be treated as crossing China’s “red line.” The complex legacy of China’s 1949 civil war division thus remains one of Asia’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints today.