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Political status of Taiwan facts for kids

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China old map
A ROC Map, printed in 1926, which showed Taiwan as part of Japan.

The political status of Taiwan is a difficult situation that many people disagree about. There are two countries in the world that call themselves China. The People's Republic of China (PRC) is the country most people think of when they hear the name China. The Republic of China (ROC) also calls itself China. It is better known in most of the world as Taiwan.

Taiwan was a part of China from the late 1600s. After the First Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan and Penghu were given to Japan by China. After World War II, the Japanese on Taiwan surrendered to the Chinese. This gave Taiwan back to the Chinese. After losing a civil war in 1949, the ROC government fled to the island of Taiwan. It took control of Taiwan and several nearby islands. The PRC controlled mainland China. It also said it owns the island of Taiwan (which is also known as Taiwan province) and the other islands. The ROC said that it was the rightful government of China and it included all of China, including Taiwan and Mongolia. In 1971, the ROC lost its United Nations seat as China. The seat was given to the PRC instead. This made the PRC the rightful government of China internationally. Most countries have accepted the PRC as the leaders of China. Several countries, including the United States, have been careful to not say officially which parts of the original China are part of the PRC. 23 countries have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Nearly all of the other countries still have some diplomatic relations with them. The major problems are about whether Taiwan is a still part of the PRC or should be an independent country.

Current status

People who live in Taiwan have different ideas, and it is difficult to find out what most people believe because small changes in how polls are worded can change the results a lot. Taiwan has not been ruled by mainland China since 1895. Today, Taiwan is a democracy. China is ruled by a communist government. The idea of freedom in communism is different than how people in a democracy think freedom should be. Few people in Taiwan want to become part of Communist China. Almost none want to give up their idea of freedom. Some people in Taiwan want Taiwan to formally become the Republic of Taiwan, an independent country. Most of the people in Taiwan want to keep everything like it is now. They want to wait for the best time to become the Republic of Taiwan.

Views by other countries

Today, most countries of the world see the PRC as China. Most countries however still have a very close economic and cultural relationship with Taiwan, even if they have major tensions with the PRC.

Problems

The relations between the PRC and Taiwan are tense. The PRC believes that Taiwan is a part of the PRC. The government of the PRC has said that if the people of Taiwan vote to become the Republic of Taiwan, that they will invade Taiwan and stop this from happening. In March of 2004, they passed a law that will allow China to invade Taiwan if Taiwan tries to leave the PRC and become an independent country. This law has caused problems with the people in Taiwan. It has caused even more people in Taiwan not to want to be a part of PRC China.

Images for kids

  • Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (front)

    Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents. This permit is issued by the People's Republic of China to enable the Taiwan Nationals to travel to mainland China. The People's Republic of China refuses to accept the Republic of China passports.

  • Voting res 2758

    Voting situation in the UN general assembly respect to resolution 2758 (1971).

  • U.S. President Eisenhower visited TAIWAN 美國總統艾森豪於1960年6月訪問臺灣台北時與蔣中正總統-2

    With President Chiang Kai-shek, the U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower waved hands to Taiwanese people during his visit to Taipei, Taiwan in June 1960.

  • 中華民國第一位民選首都市長吳三連於1951年勝選後 First People-elected Mayor of Taipei, the Capital of TAIWAN

    Non-partisan Taiwanese political candidate Wu San-lien (2L) celebrated his landslide victory (65.5%) in the first-time Taipei city mayoral election in January 1951 with his supporters. Taipei has been the capital of the Republic of China since December 1949.

  • "Japan" with inset map "Formosa and Riu-Kiu Islands" from A Literary and Historical Atlas of Asia, by J.G. Bartholomew. J.M. Dent and Sons, Ltd. 1912

    According to the Treaty of Shimonoseki Taiwan was part of Japan at the establishment of the ROC in 1912. The PRC (founded 1 October 1949) argues that the Treaty of Shimonoseki was never valid, saying it was one of several unequal treaties forced upon the Qing.

  • Taiwan ROC Passport

    Republic of China passport issued in 2009.

  • Exit and Entry Permit of Republic of China (Taiwan)

    Exit and Entry Permit Taiwan, Republic of China. This permit is issued by the Republic of China to enable residents of mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to travel to Taiwan. The Republic of China refuses to accept People's Republic of China passports.

  • Taiwan the Province Government Building

    The building of the Provincial Government of the Taiwan Province of the Republic of China at Jhongsing Village

  • Presidential Office Taipei

    The Republic of China Presidential Office Building is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei.

  • ROCN kang ding class

    ROCS Kang Ding-class frigate with S-70C helicopter

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