Taiwan independence (traditional Chinese: 臺灣獨立運動; simplified Chinese: 台湾独立运动; pinyin: Táiwān dúlì yùndòng, Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng; abbreviated to 台獨, Táidú, Tâi-to̍k) is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan out of the lands currently administered by the Republic of China (ROC). Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Pe̍h-oÄ“-jÄ« (POJ) (Chinese: 白話字; pinyin: ) is an orthography in the Latin alphabet created and introduced to Taiwan by Presbyterian missionaries in the 19th century. ... Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... A flag for the proposed independent Taiwan designed in the mid-1990s. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...

This movement is supported by the Pan-Green Coalition in Taiwan and opposed by the Pan-Blue Coalition which supports Chinese reunification with mainland China at some point. Currently, it is believed that a formal declaration of independence could lead to military confrontation with the People's Republic of China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and involve other countries such as the United States and Japan in a war.^[1] The Pan-Green Coalition (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) or Pan-Green Force (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is currently an informal political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan), consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), and the minor Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP). ... The Pan-Blue Coalition (Traditional Chinese: 泛藍聯盟; Simplified Chinese: 泛蓝联盟; Hanyu Pinyin: ), or Pan-Blue Force (Traditional Chinese: 泛藍軍; Simplified Chinese: 泛蓝军; Hanyu Pinyin: ), is a political coalition in Taiwan, consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), and the smaller New Party (CNP). ... Chinese (re)unification (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to the reunification of all of Greater China under a single political entity. ... ... Change of the declaration of of Indepenance also proves that wikipedia can be altered by anybody and could win Pancholia a free dinner. ...

History of the movement

The modern-day political movement for Taiwan independence dates back to the Japanese colonial period but became a viable political force within Taiwan only in the 1990s. Taiwan independence movement was advocated periodically during the Japanese colonial period, but was suppressed by the Japanese government. With the end of World War II in 1945, Japanese rule ended, but the subsequent rule under the Republic of China's autocratic KMT revived calls for local rule. There is still dispute as to whether Japan is a constitutional monarchy or a republic. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Japanese nationalism, also known as Japanese imperialism or Japanese nationalist ideology is a generic title, referring to a complex series of patriotic and nationalist ideas held in Japan. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... KMT might stand for: Kuomintang, is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ...

During the martial law era lasting until 1987, discussion of Taiwan independence was forbidden in Taiwan, at a time when recovery of the mainland and national unification were the stated goals. During that time, many advocates of independence and other dissidents fled overseas, and carried out their advocacy work there, notably in Japan and the United States. Part of their work involved setting up think tanks, political organizations, and lobbying networks in order to influence the politics of their host countries, notably the United States, Republic of China's main ally, though they would not be very successful until much later. ROC, Roc, roc, R.O.C, The R.O.C. or R.o. ...

Within Taiwan, the independence movement was one of many dissident causes among the intensifying democracy movement of the 1970s, which culminated in the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was eventually formed to represent dissident causes. The Kaohsiung Incident (Chinese: 高雄事件), also known as the Formosa Incident (Chinese: 美麗島事件), was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan) to commemorate Human Rights Day on December 10, 1979. ... DPP may stand for: Democratic Progressive Party, a political party in the Republic of China favoring Taiwanese Independence Director of Public Prosecutions, an officer of the law in several countries Danish Peoples Party, a political party in Denmark Directie van de Interne Dienst voor Preventie en Bescherming op het...

After the lifting of martial law in 1987, and the acceptance of multiparty politics, the DPP became increasingly identified with Taiwan independence, which entered its party platform in 1991. At the same time, many overseas independence advocates and organizations returned to Taiwan and for the first time openly promoted their cause in Taiwan and gradually built up political support. By the late 1990s, DPP and Taiwan independence have gained a solid electoral constituency in Taiwan, supported by an increasingly vocal and hardcore base. DPP may stand for: Democratic Progressive Party, a political party in the Republic of China favoring Taiwanese Independence Director of Public Prosecutions, an officer of the law in several countries Danish Peoples Party, a political party in Denmark Directie van de Interne Dienst voor Preventie en Bescherming op het...

As the electoral success of the DPP, and later, the DPP-led pan-green coalition grew in recent years, the Taiwan independence movement shifted focus to identity politics by proposing many plans involving symbolism and social engineering. The interpretation of historical events such as the 228 incident, the use of broadcast language and mother tongue education in schools, the official name and flag of the ROC, slogans in the army, orientation of maps all have been issues of concern to the present-day Taiwan independence movement. With the cross-straits political process stalled, this is likely to be the focus of the movement for the foreseeable future. DPP may stand for: Democratic Progressive Party, a political party in the Republic of China favoring Taiwanese Independence Director of Public Prosecutions, an officer of the law in several countries Danish Peoples Party, a political party in Denmark Directie van de Interne Dienst voor Preventie en Bescherming op het... DPP may stand for: Democratic Progressive Party, a political party in the Republic of China favoring Taiwanese Independence Director of Public Prosecutions, an officer of the law in several countries Danish Peoples Party, a political party in Denmark Directie van de Interne Dienst voor Preventie en Bescherming op het... The Pan-Green Coalition (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) or Pan-Green Force (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is currently an informal political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan), consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), and the minor Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP). ... Identity politics is the political activity of various social movements for self-determination. ... Social engineering is a concept in political science that refers to efforts to systematically manage popular attitudes and social behavior on a large scale, whether by governments or private groups. ... The 228 Monument located near the Presidential Office in Taipei The 228 Incident (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Peh-ōe-jī: Jī-jī-pat sū-kiāⁿ) also known as the 228 Massacre (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was an uprising in Taiwan that began on February 28, 1947 and was suppressed by the... Taiwan Strait area The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of...

History of the Taiwan independence movement

Many supporters of independence for Taiwan view the history of Taiwan since the 1600s as a continuous struggle for independence and use it as an inspiration for the current political movement ^[2] In this view, the people indigenous to Taiwan and those who have taken up residence there have been repeatedly occupied by groups like the Dutch, the Ming and Qing dynasties, Koxinga and the Ming loyalists, the Japanese. From a pro-independent supporter's point of view, Taiwan is currently still under the occupation of Chinese nationalists despite the government being democratically elected. Under this view, the movement for Taiwan independence began under Manchu rule in the 1680s which led to a well known saying those days, "Every three years an uprising, every five years a rebellion". The people of Taiwan have been occupied in partial or in whole by various groups from the 1600s, the Dutch, the Manchu, Koxinga and the Ming dynasty loyalists, the French, the Qing dynasty, the Japanese, and then by Chinese nationalists. The Taiwan independence movement under Japan was ironically supported by Mao Zedong in the 1930s as a means of freeing Taiwan from Japanese rule^[3]. With the end of World War II in 1945, by issuing "Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers General Order № 1" the Allies agreed that the Republic of China Army under the Kuomintang would "temporarily occupy Taiwan, on behalf of the Allied forces."^[4] This article discusses the history of Taiwan (including the Pescadores). ... For other uses, see Ming. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of... Koxinga (Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: Gúoxìngyé; Tongyong Pinyin: Gúosìngyé; Taiwanese; Kok-sèng-iâ/Kok-sìⁿ-iâ) is the popular name of Zheng Chenggong (Traditional Chinese: 鄭成功; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhèng Chénggōng; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhèng Chénggong; Wade-Giles: Cheng Cheng-kung; Pe... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional Chinese: 中國國民黨; Simplified Chinese: 中国国民党; pinyin: Zhōnggu ndǎng; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang; literally the National Peoples Party of China) is a... Mao redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... General Order â„– 1 was General Douglas MacArthurs first order to the forces of the Empire of Japan following the Japanese surrender. ... This article is about the independent states that comprised the Allies. ... The Republic of China Army (中華民國陸軍; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó LùjÅ«n) is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of China (Taiwan). ... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) [1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan. ...

After the Kuomintang began to rule the island, the focus of the movement was as a vehicle for discontent from the native Taiwanese against the rule of "mainlanders" (i.e. mainland China-born people who fled to Taiwan with KMT in the late 1940s). The 228 incident in 1947 and the ensuing martial law policies which lasted until 1987 contributed to a so-called sense of White Terror on the island. In 1979, the Kaohsiung Incident, occurred as the movement for democracy and independence intensified. Between 1949 and 1991, the official position^[5] of the ROC government on Taiwan was that it was the legitimate government of all of China and used this position as justification for authoritarian measures such as the refusal to vacate the seats held by delegates elected on the mainland in 1947 for the Legislative Yuan. The Taiwan independence movement intensified in response to this and presented an alternative vision of a sovereign and independent Republic of Taiwan. This vision was represented through a number of symbols such as the use of Taiwanese in opposition to the school taught Mandarin Chinese. Taiwan independence has been some of the motivation behind the Taiwanese localization movement. Mainlander is still an incorrect usage or misnomer promoted by mostly KMT Chinese and older folks in Taiwan because it still implied Taiwan as a providence to China even though Taiwan is never a territory claim of ROC charter. ... The 228 Monument located near the Presidential Office in Taipei The 228 Incident (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Peh-ōe-jī: Jī-jī-pat sū-kiāⁿ) also known as the 228 Massacre (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was an uprising in Taiwan that began on February 28, 1947 and was suppressed by the... For other uses, see Martial law (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that The White Terror (France) be merged into this article or section. ... The Kaohsiung Incident (Chinese: 高雄事件), also known as the Formosa Incident (Chinese: 美麗島事件), was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan) to commemorate Human Rights Day on December 10, 1979. ... The Legislative Yuan building in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (the view is partially obscured by the childrens hospital building of the National Taiwan University Hospital). ... For other uses, see Formosan languages, Taiwanese Mandarin, and Languages of Taiwan. ... Map of eastern China and Taiwan, showing the historic distribution of Mandarin Chinese in light brown. ... The Taiwanese localization movement ({Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân pún-thó͘-hòa ūn-tōng) is a political term used within Taiwan to emphasize the importance of Taiwans culture rather than to regard Taiwan as solely an appendage of...

Support and opposition

The question of independence and the island's relationship to mainland China are complex and inspire very strong emotions among Taiwanese. There are some who continue to maintain the KMT position that the Republic of China is the sole legitimate government for all of China (including Taiwan) and that they are merely waiting for conditions to be right for them to regain control of China. Some say Taiwan has been and should continue to be completely independent from China and operate as a sovereign nation. Then, there are numerous iterations running the entire spectrum between these two extremes.

A shopping bag produced by an independence-leaning establishment. The address uses "State of Taiwan" (台灣國) rather than "Taiwan Province" or "Republic of China."

The official position of the People's Republic of China is that Taiwan is a province of China, and has "always" been part of China. The PRC has repeatedly threatened to invade if Taiwan ever declares formal independence, and has sought to intimidate voters in Taiwan through activities such as test-firing missiles across Taiwan's northern coast just before the 1996 elections and at times when subjects such as constitutional reform have been discussed. The PRC often claims independence is wanted by only a small group, and that this group is trying to brainwash the local population to support this objective. In the 2000 White Paper, the Chinese government stated the 22 million people of Taiwan do not have the right to determine their own fate by declaring independence through a referendum or otherwise, and that unification is the only option. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1861x476, 189 KB)A picture of a shopping bag with a Taiwan name-rectification. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1861x476, 189 KB)A picture of a shopping bag with a Taiwan name-rectification. ... Taiwan Province (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ) is one of the two administrative divisions, referred to as provinces, under effective control of the Republic of China, after the relocation of its government to the national capital of Taipei following the Chinese Civil War. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...

In Taiwan itself, the situation is much more complicated, and China's actions have often added to that complexity. Support has grown for the cause of total separation from China - but this does not always translate into support for formal independence, which still represents a minority within which there are factions advocating several different, often incompatible approaches.

The Pan-Blue Coalition and the People's Republic of China believe that Lee and Chen intend on publicly promoting a moderate form of Taiwan independence in order to advance secretly deeper forms of Taiwan independence, and that they intend to use popular support on Taiwan for political separation to advance, notions of cultural and economic separation. The Pan-Blue Coalition (Traditional Chinese: 泛藍聯盟; Simplified Chinese: 泛蓝联盟; Hanyu Pinyin: ), or Pan-Blue Force (Traditional Chinese: 泛藍軍; Simplified Chinese: 泛蓝军; Hanyu Pinyin: ), is a political coalition in Taiwan, consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), and the smaller New Party (CNP). ...

Most Taiwanese of all political parties support the status quo, and recognize that this is de facto independence through sovereign self-rule. Even those who believe Taiwan is and should remain independent, the threat of war from China softens their approach, and they tend to support maintaining the status quo rather than pursuing an idealogical path that could result in war with the PRC. When the two-states policy was put forward by President Lee Teng-hui, he received 80 percent support. Similar situations arose when President Chen Shui-bian declared that there was "one country on each side" of the Taiwan Strait. The parties disagree, sometimes bitterly, on such things as territory, name (R.O.C. or Taiwan), future policies, and interpretations of history. Lee Teng-hui (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) born January 15, 1923) is a politician of Taiwan. ... Chen Shui-bian, President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian (ch. ...

Anti-Taiwan independence protesters in Washington, D.C. wait for Lee Teng-Hui to come out of a hotel.

China's attempts to influence Taiwan have not always worked the way they might. Beijing's military actions in 1996 failed to influence the outcome of the elections, and other actions such as the creation of the Anti-Secession Law that claimed China had the right to use military force against Taiwan increased the view among ordinary Taiwanese that China is a hostile, enemy nation. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 999 KB)Anti-Taiwan independence protestors wait for Lee Teng-hui to come out of a hotel. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 999 KB)Anti-Taiwan independence protestors wait for Lee Teng-hui to come out of a hotel. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Lee Teng-hui (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) born January 15, 1923) is a politician of Taiwan. ... The Anti-Secession Law (Chinese: 反分裂国家法; pinyin: ; literally Against-Splitting-the-State Law) is a law passed by the third conference of the 10th National Peoples Congress of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

At the same time, efforts to change names of official buildings, government offices etc to replace "China" with "Taiwan" have met with opposition - whether this is due to a political view that Taiwan is part of China or out of concern that such actions may provoke violence from Beijing is unclear.

Polls also indicate that most Taiwanese do not think that Taiwanese culture is or should be separate from Chinese culture. Some elements believe they are heirs to traditional Chinese culture after the degradation suffered during the Cultural Revolution, and the adoption of Simplified Chinese characters on the mainland. In addition, many sectors of society, especially the business community, are wary of the efforts to reduce trade with mainland China. However, polls conducted by the government and by outside pollsters over the past decade show that a steadily increasing number of people recognize themselves as "Taiwanese" instead of "Chinese." They think that Taiwanese culture is or should be separate from Chinese culture. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution [1] in the Peoples Republic of China was a struggle for power within the Communist Party of China that manifested into wide-scale social, political, and economic chaos, which grew to include large sections of Chinese society and eventually brought the entire country to... ...

The complexity of this situation was demonstrated when on October 25, 2004, in Beijing, the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Taiwan is "not sovereign", provoking strong comments from both the pan-Green and pan-Blue coalitions - but for very different reasons. From the DPP's side, President Chen declared that "Taiwan is definitely a sovereign, independent country, a great country that absolutely does not belong to the People's Republic of China". The TSU, in addition to mocking Powell, questioned why the US sold weapons to Taiwan if it was not a sovereign state. From the KMT, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou announced that "the Republic of China has been a sovereign state ever since it was formed [in 1912]". James Soong called it "Taiwan's biggest failure in diplomacy".^{[citation needed]} Although the reasons for the various groups claiming Taiwan already possessing sovereignty vary in the specifics, they generally view the de facto exercise of sovereignty by the current government clear backing of de jure sovereignty, at least at the present. is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... China Pig Ma Ying-Jeou (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ma Ying-chiu) (born July 13, 1950 in Hong Kong, China) is a politician in the Republic of Taiwan (Taiwan), a former Justice Minister, former Mayor of Taipei, and former Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT... James Chu-yu Soong (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Sung Chu-yü; born March 16, 1942) is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... Look up De jure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Some have claimed the independence movement is associated with the far-right, and that it is supported by the far-right politicians of Japan and the United States.^{[citation needed]} It is also thought that if formal independence were declared, Taiwan's foreign policies would lean further towards Japan and the United States. However, within the Taiwanese political spectrum, the right wing is considered to consist of staunch supporters of Chinese reunification (in the mold of Chiang Kai-shek) while the DPP is considered left leaning and the TSU bills itself as the centrist alternative to the DPP. Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitive position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was the Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ...

See also: Political status of Taiwan - Slips of the tongue

Taiwan Strait area The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of...

Significance

The 1996 Proposed flag of Taiwan.

Domestically, the issue of independence has dominated Taiwanese politics for the past few decades. This is also a grave issue for mainland China. Image File history File links Flag_of_Taiwan_proposed_1996. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Taiwan_proposed_1996. ... The 1996 proposal for the flag of the Republic of Taiwan, designed by the Rev. ...

Internationally, this movement is also significant in that a formal declaration of independence is one of the five conditions the PRC has stated or implied under which it will take military action against Taiwan to force reunification — the other four being that Taiwan makes a military alliance with a foreign power, there is internal turmoil in Taiwan, Taiwan gains weapons of mass destruction, or Taiwan refuses to negotiate on the basis of "one China". (Recently, the PRC government warned that if the situation in Taiwan becomes "worse" it will not look on "indifferently." Given the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act, this raises the possibility of a superpower conflict in East Asia.) The United States would likely be obligated to come to the aid of Taiwan under the terms of the Act according to US domestic law. However, this interpretation of the Act is disputed. Constitutional law requires that a normal declaration of war be sought by the President of the United States in an act of Congress signed by the President. Change of the declaration of of Indepenance also proves that wikipedia can be altered by anybody and could win Pancholia a free dinner. ... For the Xzibit album, see Weapons of Mass Destruction (album). ... In relation to the Three Communique signed between Peoples Republic of China and United States of America, The Taiwan Relations Act is oftened viewed as another cornerstone of US position to China and in addition to the concerted area of China. ... For other uses, see Superpower (disambiguation). ... East Asia Geographic East Asia. ... In relation to the Three Communique signed between Peoples Republic of China and United States of America, The Taiwan Relations Act is oftened viewed as another cornerstone of US position to China and in addition to the concerted area of China. ... In relation to the Three Communique signed between Peoples Republic of China and United States of America, The Taiwan Relations Act is oftened viewed as another cornerstone of US position to China and in addition to the concerted area of China. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

Formal Taiwan independence has also been described as one of the three possible situations in which another Sino-Japanese war could be triggered.^{[citation needed]} Japan has speculated that in the event of Taiwanese independence, the PRC would launch a pre-emptive strike against Japan to prevent U.S. troops stationed there from reinforcing Taiwan. (The other two scenarios are: armed struggle for the resources in the Pacific and a PRC attack to regain the disputed islands between the two states.) There is, however, currently no evidence to substantiate the theory that the PRC would launch a pre-emptive strike against Japan, in the event that hostilities break out across the Taiwan Strait.^{[citation needed]} // Aerial view of Uotsuri-jima / Diaoyu-dao Kuba Jima (久場島) or Huangwei Yu (黃尾嶼 Yellow Tail) is located at has an area of 1. ...

See also: Republic of Taiwan

A flag for the proposed independent Taiwan designed in the mid-1990s. ...

Different interpretations

There are basically three major views of "Taiwan independence". The first view, put forward by the government of the People's Republic of China, defines Taiwan independence as "splitting Taiwan from China, causing division of the nation and the people." What China claims by this statement is somewhat ambiguous according to Taiwan Independent supporters, as some statements by the People's Republic of China (PRC) seem to identify China solely and uncompromisingly with the PRC, and others indicate a broader and more flexible definition suggesting a cultural and geographic entity in which both mainland China and Taiwan are part but divided politically due to the Chinese Civil War. The PRC considers itself the sole legitimate government of all China, and the Republic of China to be a defunct entity replaced in the Communist revolution in 1949. Therefore, assertions that the ROC is a sovereign state are construed as support for Taiwan independence while proposals to change the name of the ROC to Taiwan are paradoxically met with even more disapproval since this would be the equivalent of formally dropping the notion that Taiwan is part of the greater China entity (as a side of an unresolved Chinese civil war). Before the passing of UN resolution 2758 in 1971, the ROC was the recognized legal government of China. Afterwards, the PRC became the recognized legal government of China. ... Combatants Nationalist Party of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War...

A second view is that Taiwan is already an independent nation with the official name Republic of China, which has been independent (i.e. de facto separate from China) since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the ROC lost China, with only Taiwan (including the Pescadores), Quemoy and Matsu on the coast of Fujian, and some of the islands in the South China Sea remaining under its administration. Although previously no major political faction adopted this pro-status quo viewpoint, because it is a "compromise" in face of Chinese threats and American warnings against a unilateral declaration of independence, the DPP combined it with their traditional belief to form their latest official policy. This viewpoint has not been adopted by more radical groups such as the Taiwan Solidarity Union, which favor only the second view and are in favor of a Republic or State of Taiwan. In addition, many members of the pan-blue coalition are rather suspicious of this view, fearing that adopting this definition of Taiwan independence is merely an insincere stealth tactical effort to advance desinicization and the second view of Taiwan independence. As a result, supporters of pan-blue tend to make a clear distinction between Taiwan independence and Taiwan sovereignty, while supporters of pan-green tend to try to blur the distinction between the two. This view is challenged by the fact that no official agreement has ever been reached by the warring parties of the Chinese Civil War. Therefore, the Chinese Civil War in fact is unresolved to this day. Both of the competing factions of Chinese Civil War belong to China. The Pescadores (Traditional Chinese: 澎湖群島; Hanyu Pinyin: Pénghú Qúndăo; Tongyong Pinyin: Pénghú Cyúndăo; Wade-Giles: Peng-Hu Chün-Tao; Taiwanese POJ: Phêⁿ-ô·-kōan, from Portuguese, fishermen, pron. ... Quemoy, Kinmen, or Chinmen (金門, pinyin: Jīnmén, POJ: Kim-mn̂g) (pop. ... The Matsu Islands (Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County (連江 Pinyin: Liánjiāng), Fukien Province of the Republic of China (ROC, now based on Taiwan). ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal map spelling: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The South China Sea Islands (or Nanhai Islands, simplified: 南海诸岛, traditional: 南海諸島, pinyin: NánhÇŽi ZhÅ«dÇŽo) is an archipelago of over 250 around 1-km² islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars in the South China Sea, most of which have no indigenous people. ... This article is about the English rock band. ... The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) (Traditional Chinese: 台灣團結聯盟, pinyin: Táiwān túanjíe líanméng) is a political party in Taiwan (Republic of China) which advocates Taiwan independence. ... The Pan-Blue Coalition (Traditional Chinese: 泛藍聯盟; Simplified Chinese: 泛蓝联盟; Hanyu Pinyin: ), or Pan-Blue Force (Traditional Chinese: 泛藍軍; Simplified Chinese: 泛蓝军; Hanyu Pinyin: ), is a political coalition in Taiwan, consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), and the smaller New Party (CNP). ... Desinicization (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , de + sinicization, meaning to get rid of the Chinese influence) is a term which appeared in the political vocabulary of the Republic of China on Taiwan in 2001 . ...

The third view considers the move for Taiwan independence as a nationalist movement. This is the opinion, historically, put forward by such pro-independence groups on Taiwan as the tang wai movement (which later grew into the Democratic Progressive Party), which argue that the ROC under the Kuomintang has been in the past a "foreign regime" forcibly imposed on Taiwan. Since the 1990s, supporters of Taiwan independence no longer actively make this argument. Instead, the argument has been that in order to survive against the growing power of the PRC, Taiwan must view itself as a separate and distinct entity from "China". This involves removing the name of China from official and unofficial items in Taiwan, making changes in history books to focus mainly on Taiwan as a central entity, promoting the use of Taiwanese, reducing economic links with mainland China, and in general thinking of Taiwan as a separate entity. In this view, China is a foreign entity, and the goal of this movement is to create an internationally recognized country which is separate from any concept of China. Quemoy and Matsu on the coast of Fujian and some of the islands in the South China Sea, which are historically not part of Taiwan, are to be excluded from the proposed state of Taiwan. Some supporters of Taiwan independence argue that the Treaty of San Francisco^[6] justifies Taiwan independence by not explicitly granting Taiwan to either the Republic of China or the People's Republic of China. This legal justification is rejected by both the PRC and ROC governments. Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... The Tangwai (黨外; pinyin: dăng w i; literally, outside the party) movement was a political movement in the Republic of China on Taiwan in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. ... The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; abbreviated to or ; Hanyu Pinyin: MínjìndÇŽng) is a major political party in the Republic of China which has traditionally been associated with the pan-green coalition and Taiwan independence although it has moderated its stance as it has... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) [1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan. ... For other uses, see Formosan languages, Taiwanese Mandarin, and Languages of Taiwan. ...

Recent years

In more recent years, with the existence of democratic and direct elections, the focus of the movement has changed to that of insuring the independence and dignity of Taiwan against the possibility of rule by the People's Republic of China, and as such has been more willing to take on the symbols of the Republic of China. The movement, at its peak in the 70s through the 90s in the form of the Taiwan literature movement and other cultural upheavals, has moderated in recent years with the assimilation of these changes. Friction between "mainlander" and "native" communities on Taiwan has decreased due to shared interests: increasing economic ties with mainland China, continuing threats by the People's Republic of China to invade, and doubts as to whether or not the United States would support a unilateral declaration of independence. Since the late 1990s many supporters of Taiwan independence have argued that Taiwan, as the ROC, is already independent from the mainland, making a formal declaration unnecessary. In May 1999, the Democratic Progressive Party formalized this position in its "Resolution on Taiwan's Future". May 1999 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December May 2 - Norman J. Sirnic and Karen Sirnic are murdered by Angel Maturino Resendiz in a parsonage in Weimar, Texas. ... The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; abbreviated to or ; Hanyu Pinyin: MínjìndÇŽng) is a major political party in the Republic of China which has traditionally been associated with the pan-green coalition and Taiwan independence although it has moderated its stance as it has... Resolution on Taiwans Future is a document ratified by the Democratic Progressive Party during its eighth annual national assembly in May 1999. ...

During Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States on 20 April 2006, US President George W. Bush reaffirmed to the world that the U.S. would uphold its "one China" policy^[7]. This is a Chinese name; the family name is Hu Hu Jintao (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; born December 21, 1942) is currently the Paramount Leader of the Peoples Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

Current status

"Taiwan independence" has been lately focused on what kind of political move can be seen as declaration of independence (and interpreted by China as a violation of the anti-secession law). The Anti-Secession Law (Chinese: 反分裂国家法; pinyin: ; literally Against-Splitting-the-State Law) is a law passed by the third conference of the 10th National Peoples Congress of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

President Chen Shui-bian (zh:陳水扁) initiated in February 2007 the change of names of state-owned enterprises, nation's embassies and overseas representative offices. As a result^[8], Chunghwa Post Co (中華郵政) is renamed Taiwan Post Co (臺灣郵政) and Chinese Petroleum Corp (中國石油) is now called CPC Corporation, Taiwan (臺灣中油) and the signs in Taiwan's embassies now display the word "Taiwan" under "Republic of China." This year, the recently renamed post office Taiwan Post Co. issued stamps bearing the name "Taiwan" in remembrance of the 228 Incident. Chen Shui-bian, President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian (ch. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... The 228 Monument located near the Presidential Office in Taipei The 228 Incident (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Peh-ōe-jÄ«: JÄ«-jÄ«-pat sÅ«-kiāⁿ) also known as the 228 Massacre (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was an uprising in Taiwan that began on February 28, 1947 and was suppressed by the...

The pan-blue camp voiced its opposition to the changes and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) former Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (zh:馬英九) said that it would generate diplomatic troubles and cause cross-strait tensions. Later, US Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack said that the US does not support administrative steps that would appear to change Taiwan's status or move toward independence. The Pan-Blue Coalition, or Pan-Blue Force (Chinese: 泛藍軍; pinyin: fàn lán jūn), is a political coalition in early 21st century Taiwan, consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), and the smaller New Party (CNP). ... KMT might stand for: Kuomintang, is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... China Pig Ma Ying-Jeou (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ma Ying-chiu) (born July 13, 1950 in Hong Kong, China) is a politician in the Republic of Taiwan (Taiwan), a former Justice Minister, former Mayor of Taipei, and former Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT...

Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), an assistant Research Fellow in political science at Academia Sinica and a former student activist educated in National Taiwan University, declared that the change of name follows the change on the passports covers four years ago. He added: "I think Ma's comment was only aimed at causing panic and confrontation while ignoring the trend of Taiwan's public opinion." The Academia Sinica (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), headquartered in the Nan-kang district () of Taipei, is the national academy for Taiwan. ... National Taiwan University (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuo2-li4 tai2-wan1 ta4-hsüeh2; POJ: Kok-li̍p Tâi-ôan Tāi-ha̍k; abbreviation NTU)[2] is a national university in Taipei City, Taiwan. ...

Former president Lee Teng-hui (zh:李登輝) said recently that it is unnecessary to pursue Taiwanese independence. Lee views Taiwan as already an independent state, and that the call for "Taiwanese independence" could even confuse the international community by implying that Taiwan once viewed itself as part of China. Taiwan is independent, even if it remains unable to enter the UN. Lee said the most important goal is to improve the people's livelihoods, build national consciousness, and make a formal name change and draft a new constitution that reflects the present reality so that Taiwan can officially identify itself as country^[9]. Lee Teng-hui (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) born January 15, 1923) is a politician of Taiwan. ...

References

The Heritage Foundation is a public policy research institute based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

See also

• 228 incident
• Republic of Taiwan
• Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China
• Kaohsiung incident
• Treaty of San Francisco
• White Terror
• Chinese reunification
• Flag of the Republic of China
• Four-stage Theory of the Republic of China
• History of the Republic of China
• Free Area of the Republic of China
• Third Taiwan Strait Crisis
• Ryukyu independence movement
• Taiwanese literature movement

The 228 Monument located near the Presidential Office in Taipei The 228 Incident (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Peh-ōe-jī: Jī-jī-pat sū-kiāⁿ) also known as the 228 Massacre (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was an uprising in Taiwan that began on February 28, 1947 and was suppressed by the... A flag for the proposed independent Taiwan designed in the mid-1990s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Kaohsiung Incident (Chinese: 高雄事件), also known as the Formosa Incident (Chinese: 美麗島事件), was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan) to commemorate Human Rights Day on December 10, 1979. ... Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru gives a speech on reconciliation and rapport ) at the San Francisco Peace conference. ... It has been suggested that The White Terror (France) be merged into this article or section. ... Chinese (re)unification (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to the reunification of all of Greater China under a single political entity. ... Flag of Taiwan redirects here. ... The Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China or the Theory of the Four Stages of the Republic of China (Chinese: 中華民國四階段論; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Sì Jiēduàn Lùn) is proposed by Chen Shui-bian, the current (10th and 11th terms) president of the Republic of... ‹ The template below (History of China - BC) is being considered for deletion. ... The Free Area of the Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: 中華民國自由地區) is a legal and political description referring to the territories of the Republic of China under the control of its government. ... Taiwan Strait The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the Peoples Republic of China in the waters surrounding Taiwan including the Taiwan Strait from July 21... Ryukyu Independence Party flag The Ryukyu independence movement (琉球独立運動) can refer to a number of different movements, in Okinawa Prefecture, in the rest of Japan, and abroad, emerging at different times and with different goals, in relation to the history of the Ryūkyū Islands. ... The Taiwanese literature movement (also Taiwan literature movement, Nativist literature movement) refers to the effort of authors, poets, dramatists, musicians, and publishers in Taiwan to establish recognition of a distinctly Taiwanese body of literature. ...

Further reading

• Bush, R. & O'Hanlon, M. (2007). A War Like No Other: The Truth About China's Challenge to America. Wiley. ISBN 0471986771
• Bush, R. (2006). Untying the Knot: Making Peace in the Taiwan Strait. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0815712901
• Carpenter, T. (2006). America's Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1403968411
• Cole, B. (2006). Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects. Routledge. ISBN 0415365813
• Copper, J. (2006). Playing with Fire: The Looming War with China over Taiwan. Praeger Security International General Interest. ISBN 0275988880
• Federation of American Scientists et al. (2006). Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning
• Gill, B. (2007). Rising Star: China's New Security Diplomacy. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0815731469
• Shirk, S. (2007). China: Fragile Superpower: How China's Internal Politics Could Derail Its Peaceful Rise. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195306090
• Tsang, S. (2006). If China Attacks Taiwan: Military Strategy, Politics and Economics. Routledge. ISBN 0415407850
• Tucker, N.B. (2005). Dangerous Strait: the U.S.-Taiwan-China Crisis. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231135645

External links

• Taiwan history
• Yes to Taiwan
• The True History of Taiwan
• San Francisco Treaty vs Cairo Treaty
• Taiwan population and languages
• Taiwan time line
• Taiwan history in comics
• World United Formosans for Independence
• Taiwan poll should ask about US sovereignty
• America and Taiwan, 1943-2004
• Taiwan Documents Project
• Formosan Association for Public Affairs

Politics of the Republic of China v • d • e

Constitution of the Republic of China - Three Principles of the People

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President - Vice President - Premier

Executive Yuan | Legislative Yuan | Judicial Yuan | Control Yuan | Examination Yuan

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Political parties | Elections

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Political status | Legal status | Chinese reunification | Taiwan independence