China and Taiwan issue

The China and Taiwan issue is very complex. Its political complexity, historical depth, and ongoing geopolitical consequences have attracted interest all over. Governed democratically from Taiwan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), run under the Communist Party from Beijing, differs from the Republic of China (ROC). This division symbolizes profound ideological differences: communism against democracy. Beginning with the death of Sun Yat-sen, this division developed during the Chinese Civil War. Once friends, Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek became bitter adversaries, each vying for legitimacy over China. Their rivalry shaped the nation for many years. We will also consider the importance of Manchuria, with historical ties to Japan, in the broader conflict.

The story starts in the wake of the 18th century, while China was under political turmoil and outside pressure. In the late 19th century, around the 1870s and 1880s, China was still ruled by the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history. But internal corruption, unrest, and weak modernization efforts had left the Qing government vulnerable.

Seizing the moment, Japan, modernized after the Meiji Restoration, launched a campaign against China in 1894, marking the start of the First Sino-Japanese War. Japan’s military quickly overpowered Qing forces, capturing Taiwan, parts of Manchuria, and other coastal regions. The war ended with the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, where China ceded Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan. This defeat not only weakened the Qing Dynasty but also led to the rise of regional warlords and the eventual collapse of imperial rule.

Sun Yat-sen, widely regarded as the “Father of Modern China,” played a crucial role in overthrowing imperial rule and laying the foundation for a unified and modern Chinese republic. He aimed to unite the scattered petty warlord governments and dynasties into one, single country. He established the Kuomintang (KMT), sometimes known as the Nationalist Party of China, the political movement that would subsequently develop into what is now the Republican Party of Taiwan in order to reach this.

Based on his “Three Principles of the People,” nationalism, democracy, and the welfare of the people defined Sun’s dream as one of modern, democratic China: The KMT made great strides in uniting portions of the nation and consolidating power under his direction. But with Sun Yat-sen’s death in 1925, internal strife and the emergence of Mao Zedong’s communist forces upset the KMT’s hold. Following a bloody civil war, the KMT withdrew to Taiwan in 1949 and set up their government there as the communists seized overland China.

After death of king there was havoc created in Kuomintang party and because of confliction between the members the party was broke into two parties.

12th April 1927, Nationalist Party struck on Communist Party in Shanghai and killed 12,000 people, and Communist Party was defeated. This incident is called the Shanghai Massacre. After this incident, it took the form of civil war, and it lasted from 1927 to 1950 until the end of one party.

By taking advantage of this opportunity, Japan again attacked China in 1931 and captured its region Manchuria. Seeing this, both the parties united and together they attacked Japan, but even in this war they could not defeat it, and Japan again overpowered China. This war was called the Second Sino-Japanese War, and it lasted from 1937 to 1945. The main reason for the end of this war was America‘s attack on Japan with atomic bombs, which suffocated Japan. So, Japan had to leave China.

After the exile of Japan from China, Communist Party got chance to take revenge from Nationalist Party. They took help from Russia (state of Communist Party) and attacked on Nationalist Party in 1949 and revised the incident like Shanghai Massacre. In 1949 they declared the China as Communist Party officially. So, the members of Nationalist Party and its leaders, devotee were exiled from China and sent to the Formosa Island (currently known Taiwan country). Around 2M people left China and went to this island with their amenities and needy things like factory, company, animals, etc.

Retreating to Taiwan in 1949, the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) set up a government there and kept referring to it as the Republic of China (ROC). Declaring Beijing as its capital, the Communist Party under Mao Zedong built the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland. Including Taiwan, both regimes claimed to be the official heir of all China. The two sides contended for decades that the other was an illegal government; Taiwan insisted that mainland China was part of the Republic of China, while the PRC believed Taiwan was a breakaway province.

The United Nations first acknowledged the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the official government of China. But with UN Resolution 2758 in 1971, the UN moved recognition to the People’s Republic of China, removing Taiwan from its seat. Many nations, notably India, led at the time by Indira Gandhi—not Jawaharlal Nehru, who died in 1964—supported this change. Though it runs with its own government, economy, and democratic system, Taiwan has not been formally recognized as an independent nation by the UN since then.

Though with ongoing conflict over sovereignty, both the People’s Republic of China (mainland) and the Republic of China (Taiwan) operate today as different political states with distinct governments.

First essentially ideological, there was clear antagonism between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Two different political systems battled—under the Nationalist Kuomintang leading democracy and under the Chinese Communist Party leading communism. But as imperial objectives, technological rivalry, and international diplomacy shaped this ideological difference over time, it grew into a broader geopolitical struggle.

These days, the debate largely revolves around the “One China Policy,” which the PRC fervently supports. This policy holds that only one China exists and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of it. Conversely, Taiwan is a democratic country seeking global recognition and freedom from mainland control.

Among the most delicate and complex geopolitical issues facing the world today, this conflict draws comparisons to past territorial and national identity disputes, such as the ongoing India–Kashmir conflict, which also involves historical claims, regional autonomy, and international attention. If that topic interests you, consider exploring the India–Kashmir conflict in the broader context of post-colonial and regional politics.