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| The '''Republic of China''' (中華民國 ; ]: Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo² ; ]: Zhōnghuá mínguó) is a country that currently consists of ] and several outlying islands of ], namely ] and ]. In the western news media, the term '''Taiwan''' is frequently used synonymously with the Republic of China while "China" is now used to mean the ]. | |||
| <div style="float:right; width:125px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; text-align:center;">]<br><small>]</small></div> | |||
| Succeeding the ] in ], the Republic of China (ROC) administered ] from ] to ] until it was defeated by the ] and has administered Taiwan from ] until the present. The provisional capital is ] and official capital remains the city of ] in Mainland China. (See also: ]) | |||
| Since the founding of the People's Republic of China on the mainland, the ] has been a controversial issue. After losing control over Mainland China, the ruling ] authorities actively claimed sovereignty over mainland China (including ]) and ]. In ], President ] stated that the government will no longer challenge communist rule on the mainland. The current administration of President ] has left the issue of sovereignty somewhat ambigious, although the government has stopped mentioning Mainland China and its websites feature maps and pictures of Taiwan. However, the ] has not formally renounced the ROC's jurisdiction over mainland China and outer Mongolia, as this would be seen as a precursor to ]. | |||
| Although the current government leans toward ] it has not formally renounced its jurisdiction over ] (including ]). The relationship with ] is more complicated. Until 1945, the ROC claimed jurisdiction over Mongolia, but under Soviet pressure, it recognized Mongolian independence. Shortly thereafter, it repudiated this recognition and continued to claim jurisdiction over Mongolia until recently. | |||
| <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="290px"> | |||
| ⚫ | Since the late 1990s, relationship with Mongolia has become a controversial topic. The ] is attempting to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia, but this move is controversial because it is widely seen as a prelude for renouncing ROC sovereignty over ] thereby declaring ]. | ||
| <caption>'''中華民國'''<br>'''Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo²'''</caption> | |||
| <tr><td style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan=2> | |||
| <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> | |||
| <tr><td align="center" width="140px">]</td> | |||
| <td align="center" width="140px" rowspan="2" height="120px">]</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td align="center" width="140px">(])</td> | |||
| </table></td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;"><font size="-1">''National ]: None''</font></td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>Official ] </td><td>] Chinese</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>] </td><td>]'''¹'''</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>]</td><td>]</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>] </td><td>]</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>]<br> - Total <br> - % water</td><td>] <br>35,980 ] <br> 10.3%</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>] | |||
| <br> - Total (]) | |||
| <br> - ]</td><td>] | |||
| <br> 22,548,009 | |||
| <br> 627/km² </td></tr> | |||
| ⚫ | <tr><td>Establishment | ||
| <br> - Declared | |||
| <br> - Established </td><td>] | |||
| <br>], ] | |||
| <br>], ]</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>] </td><td>New Taiwan ]</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>] </td><td>] +8</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>] </td><td> ] </td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>]</td><td>.TW</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td>]</td><td>886</td></tr> | |||
| <tr><td colspan="2" align="left"><font size="2">('''1''') Provisional; official ROC capital remains the city of ] in ]</font> | |||
| </td></tr> | |||
| </table> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ''Main articles: ], ]'' | ||
| ⚫ | The Republic of China developed out of an uprising against the ] which began at ] on ], 1911. This date is celebrated in Taiwan as ]. The uprising is now called ]. Emboldened by the lack of response against this uprising, provincial assemblies began to secede forcing the last emperor to abdicate. | ||
| ⚫ | The Republic of China developed out of an uprising against the ] which began at ] on ], ]. This date is celebrated in Taiwan as ]. The uprising is now called ]. Emboldened by the lack of response against this uprising, provincial assemblies began to secede forcing the last emperor to abdicate. | ||
| === Early Republic === | |||
| The Republic of China was declared on ], ]. The last Qing emperor ] abdicated on ], ]. In August 1912, ] formed the ]. A parliamentary election was held in February 1913. The opposing parties were ]'s followers and Sung Chiao-jen's ]. After a landslide victory by Kuomintang, Yuan Shikai had Sung Chiao-jen assassinated. Hatred toward Yuan grew, but numerous rebellions were crushed by Yuan. ] fled to Japan for his own safety. The parliament officially elected Yuan Shikai the president of Republic of China in October ]. Yuan's government was diplomatically recognized by most of the nations. To induce this recognition, Yuan gave ] and ] to ] and ] to the ]. Soon after Yuan dissolved the parliament and reinstated the monarchy. Many provinces declared independence and became warlord states. Yuan Shikai died of natural causes in ] ending the brief monarchy. | |||
| The nationalist ] party, which at the time controlled the government of the ROC, retreated to Taiwan after the ] between the Kuomintang and the ] ended in the Communists' favour in ], bringing with them some 2 million refugees from ]. | |||
| === Warlord Era === | |||
| The initial high hopes for the Republic were quickly undermined as the Republic was divided among military ]s. | |||
| Taiwan remained under ] for 4 decades until ] and one-party rule until ] when President ] gradually liberalized and democratized the system. The relationship with the ] and the related issues of either ] or ] continue to dominate Taiwanese politics. | |||
| During ], ], fighting on the allied side, seized ]'s sphere of influence in ] province. Through secret diplomatic channels, the Beijing warlord government agreed to let Japan keep Shandong. The public did not know about agreement until the announcement of the ] at the end of World War I. This act, which most Chinese have regarded as traitorous, provoked major demonstrations in Beijing on ], ] and started what became known as the ]. | |||
| Sun Yat-sen gained control of ] province with the help of southern warlords in ]. Sun reestablished Kuomintang in October 1919. | |||
| See also: ], ] | |||
| (Things to add about Warlord Era) | |||
| * ] | |||
| * Soviet support of CCP and KMT | |||
| * Soviet training | |||
| * Death of Sun and rise of Chiang Kai-shek | |||
| * List major warlords | |||
| == Politics == | |||
| ''Main article: ]'' | |||
| See ] | |||
| The ] has undergone a process of democratisation since ] was reformed in the early 1990s. The ] is the ], who is elected by popular vote for a four-year term on the same ticket as the vice-president. The president has authority over the five administrative branches (''Yuan''): the ], ], ], ], and ]. The president appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as his cabinet, including a ] who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration. | |||
| === The Republic of China on Taiwan === | |||
| In 1949, ] evacuated the government of the Republic of China to ], which had been ceded from Japan in 1945, and declared ] as the temporary capital of China. Because of the ], until the ], the Republic of China was recognized as the sole legitimate government of both Mainland China and Taiwan by the ] and most Western nations. | |||
| The main ] body is the ] Legislative Yuan with 225 seats, of which 168 are elected by popular vote. Of the remainder, 41 are elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight are elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the same principle, as are the eight seats for the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly, as a standing constitutional convention and electoral college, held some ]ary functions, but this has now become a non-standing body of 300 members that has seen most of its powers transferred to the Legislative Yuan. | |||
| The ] saw a switch in diplomatic recognitions from the ROC to the ]. In October 1971, Resolution 2758 was passed by the UN ], expelling the Republic of China and replacing the China seat on the ] (and all other UN organs) with the People's Republic of China. It declared "that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations" and thus labeled the Republic of China a renegade authority. Multiple attempts by the Republic of China to rejoin the UN have not made it past committee. | |||
| == Political divisions == | |||
| In ], the ] ] stated that the government would no longer challenge the rule of the Communist Party on the Mainland, but the ] has not officially renounced its right to rule Mainland China and Outer Mongolia. Such a declaration would be opposed by supporters of ] on Taiwan and may ironically be interpreted as a declaration of independence upon which the Mainland may take military action. As of ], the government, which is controlled by the independence-leaning ], has been very careful in its statements and has taken a policy of ambiguity. However, President ] has promised not to change the symbols of the Republic of China and the flag, official name, holidays, and pictures of ] remain. | |||
| ''Main article: ]'' | |||
| <div style="float:right">]<br><small>Current jurisdiction of the ROC</small></div> | |||
| <table border="0"> | |||
| <tr><td> | |||
| The Republic of China currently has jurisdiction over two of the historic ]: the entire ] and several islands near the mainland, chiefly ] and ], that are part of ] province. | |||
| As of 2002, the Republic of China continues to be officially recognized by 27 nations, mostly small countries in Central America and Africa but also including the ]. The People's Republic of China has a policy of not having diplomatic relations with any nation which recognizes the Republic of China and insists that all nations with which it has diplomatic relations make a statement which recognizes its claims on Taiwan. In practice, most major nations maintain unofficial semi-diplomatic relations with Taiwan and the statement which is required by the PRC is couched in extremely carefully worded ambiguity. | |||
| See also: ] | |||
| Until the mid-], supporters of ] opposed the Republic of China and supported the creation of an independent Republic of Taiwan. Since the mid-1990s, a compromise has been reached between most supporters of ] and ] on Taiwan to support the continuation of the Republic of China but as a government that administers only Taiwan. The ] which is the smaller party within the pan-Green coalition opposes this compromise. | |||
| ==Foreign relations== | |||
| Although the ] displays the symbols of the ROC in official governmental contexts, the symbols of the ROC are almost never seen in party political contexts. By contrast, supporters of the ] will display the symbols of ROC, such as flags and national songs, in party political rallies. | |||
| ''Main article: ] | |||
| The Republic of China, as one of its founding members was in the ] and held China's seat on the ] until ], when it was expelled by General Assembly Resolution Resolution 2758 and replaced in all UN organs with the ] government. Multiple attempts by the Republic of China to re-join the UN have not made it past committee. Since the 1970's, the number of nations officially recognising the ROC has decreased to 27. The People's Republic of China refuses to maintain diplomatic relations with any government which formally recognises the ROC, leading to a complex ]. | |||
| ⚫ | Until 1945, the ROC claimed jurisdiction over Mongolia, but under Soviet pressure, it recognized Mongolian independence. Shortly thereafter, it repudiated this recognition and continued to claim jurisdiction over Mongolia until recently. Since the late 1990s, relationship with Mongolia has become a controversial topic. The ] is attempting to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia, but this move is controversial because it is widely seen as a prelude for renouncing ROC sovereignty over ] thereby declaring ]. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| See also: | See also: | ||
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| *] | *] | ||
| Compare to: ], ] | Compare to: ] | ||
| == Miscellaneous topics == | == Miscellaneous topics == | ||
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| == External Links == | == External Links == | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
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| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
| <hr align="center" noshade size="4" width="100%"> | |||
| <center>] | ]</center> | |||
Revision as of 23:09, 17 July 2003
The Republic of China (中華民國 ; Wade-Giles: Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo² ; pinyin: Zhōnghuá mínguó) is a country that currently consists of Taiwan and several outlying islands of Fujian, namely Quemoy and Matsu. In the western news media, the term Taiwan is frequently used synonymously with the Republic of China while "China" is now used to mean the People's Republic of China.
Succeeding the Qing Dynasty in China, the Republic of China (ROC) administered Mainland China from 1911 to 1949 until it was defeated by the Chinese Communists and has administered Taiwan from 1945 until the present. The provisional capital is Taipei and official capital remains the city of Nanjing in Mainland China. (See also: Min Guo)
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China on the mainland, the political status of the Republic of China has been a controversial issue. After losing control over Mainland China, the ruling Kuomintang authorities actively claimed sovereignty over mainland China (including Tibet) and outer Mongolia. In 1991, President Lee Teng-hui stated that the government will no longer challenge communist rule on the mainland. The current administration of President Chen Shui-bian has left the issue of sovereignty somewhat ambigious, although the government has stopped mentioning Mainland China and its websites feature maps and pictures of Taiwan. However, the National Assembly has not formally renounced the ROC's jurisdiction over mainland China and outer Mongolia, as this would be seen as a precursor to Taiwan independence.
| ||||
| National motto: None | ||||
| Official language | Mandarin Chinese | |||
| Capital | Taipei¹ | |||
| President | Chen Shui-bian | |||
| Premier | Yu Shyi-kun | |||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 134th 35,980 km² 10.3% | |||
| Population
- Density | Ranked 47th
627/km² | |||
| Establishment
- Established | Wuchang Uprising
January 1, 1912 | |||
| Currency | New Taiwan Dollar | |||
| Time zone | UTC +8 | |||
| National anthem | Three Principles of the People | |||
| Internet TLD | .TW | |||
| Calling Code | 886 | |||
| (1) Provisional; official ROC capital remains the city of Nanking in Mainland China | ||||
History
Main articles: History of China, History of the Republic of China
The Republic of China developed out of an uprising against the Qing Dynasty which began at Wuchang on October 10, 1911. This date is celebrated in Taiwan as Double Tenth Day. The uprising is now called Wuchang Uprising. Emboldened by the lack of response against this uprising, provincial assemblies began to secede forcing the last emperor to abdicate.
The nationalist Kuomintang party, which at the time controlled the government of the ROC, retreated to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China ended in the Communists' favour in 1949, bringing with them some 2 million refugees from Mainland China.
Taiwan remained under martial law for 4 decades until 1987 and one-party rule until 1991 when President Chiang Ching-kuo gradually liberalized and democratized the system. The relationship with the People's Republic of China and the related issues of either Taiwanese independence or Chinese reunification continue to dominate Taiwanese politics.
See also: History of Taiwan, Timeline of Chinese history
Politics
Main article: Politics of the Republic of China
The Republic of China has undergone a process of democratisation since its constitution was reformed in the early 1990s. The head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a four-year term on the same ticket as the vice-president. The president has authority over the five administrative branches (Yuan): the Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan, Control Yuan, Judicial Yuan, and Examination Yuan. The president appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as his cabinet, including a premier who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration.
The main legislative body is the unicameral Legislative Yuan with 225 seats, of which 168 are elected by popular vote. Of the remainder, 41 are elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight are elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the same principle, as are the eight seats for the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly, as a standing constitutional convention and electoral college, held some parliamentary functions, but this has now become a non-standing body of 300 members that has seen most of its powers transferred to the Legislative Yuan.
Political divisions
Main article: Political divisions of the Republic of China
File:Tw-map.jpg
Current jurisdiction of the ROC
|
The Republic of China currently has jurisdiction over two of the historic provinces of China: the entire Taiwan province and several islands near the mainland, chiefly Quemoy and Matsu, that are part of Fujian province. See also: Provinces of China Foreign relationsMain article: Foreign relations of the Republic of China The Republic of China, as one of its founding members was in the United Nations and held China's seat on the Security Council until 1971, when it was expelled by General Assembly Resolution Resolution 2758 and replaced in all UN organs with the People's Republic of China government. Multiple attempts by the Republic of China to re-join the UN have not made it past committee. Since the 1970's, the number of nations officially recognising the ROC has decreased to 27. The People's Republic of China refuses to maintain diplomatic relations with any government which formally recognises the ROC, leading to a complex political status of Taiwan. Until 1945, the ROC claimed jurisdiction over Mongolia, but under Soviet pressure, it recognized Mongolian independence. Shortly thereafter, it repudiated this recognition and continued to claim jurisdiction over Mongolia until recently. Since the late 1990s, relationship with Mongolia has become a controversial topic. The DPP is attempting to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia, but this move is controversial because it is widely seen as a prelude for renouncing ROC sovereignty over Mainland China thereby declaring Taiwan independence.
Compare to: People's Republic of China Miscellaneous topics
External Links
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