Republic of China
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"ROC" redirects here. For other uses, see ROC (disambiguation).
For the culture and geography of the territories governed by the Republic of China, see Taiwan and List of islands of the Republic of China.
Not to be confused with the People's Republic of China.
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
Republic of China
中華民國[a]
Zhōnghuá Mínguó
A red flag, with a small blue rectangle in the top left hand corner on which sits a white sun composed of a circle surrounded by 12 rays. A blue circular emblem on which sits a white sun composed of a circle surrounded by 12 rays.
Flag Emblem
Anthem:
“National Anthem of the Republic of China”
《中華民國國歌》
“National Flag Anthem”
《中華民國國旗歌》
Play sound
National Flag Anthem of the ROC instrumental.ogg
A map depicting the location of the Republic of China in East Asia and in the World.
depicting the Free Area of the Republic of China
Capital Taipei[1][b]
25°02′N 121°38′E / 25.033°N 121.633°E / 25.033; 121.633
Largest city New Taipei
Official language(s) Mandarin[2]
Recognised regional languages Taiwanese Hokkien
Hakka Chinese
Formosan languages[3]
Official scripts Traditional Chinese
Ethnic groups 98% Han[4][5]
[dead link]
70% Hoklo
14% Hakka
14% Mainlanders[6]
2% Taiwanese aborigines[7]
Demonym Taiwanese[8][9][10] or Chinese[11] or both
Government Semi-presidential republic
- President Ma Ying-jeou
- Vice President Vincent Siew
Legislature Legislative Yuan
Establishment Xinhai Revolution
- Wuchang Uprising 10 October 1911
- Republic established 1 January 1912
- End of Japanese rule in Taiwan 25 October 1945
- Constitution 25 December 1947
- Government relocated to Taipei 7 December 1949
Area
- Total 36,191.4667 km2 (136th)
13,973.6 sq mi
- Water (%) 10.34
Population
- 2010 estimate 23,150,923[12][c] (49th)
- Density 640/km2 (16th)
1,658/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate
- Total $810.487 billion[13] (19th)
- Per capita $34,743[13] (21st)
GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate
- Total $426.984 billion[13] (24th)
- Per capita $18,303[13] (37th)
Gini (2008) 34.1 [14] (medium)
HDI (2010) increase 0.868*[15][16] (Very high)
Currency New Taiwan dollar (NT$) (TWD)
Time zone CST (UTC+8)
- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+8)
Date formats yyyy-mm-dd
yyyy年m月d日
(CE; CE+2697) or 民國yy年m月d日
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code TW
Internet TLD .tw, .台灣,[17] .台湾
Calling code +886
a. ^ See also Names of China.
b. ^ Nanjing was the seat of the government from 1928 until 1949 except during wars, when the government retreated to Taipei.
c. ^ Population and density ranks based on 2008 figures.
Republic of China
Traditional Chinese 中華民國
Simplified Chinese 中华民国
Transliterations
Gan
- Romanization tung1 fa4 min4 koet7
Hakka
- Romanization dung24 fa11 min11 gued2
Mandarin
- Hanyu Pinyin Zhōnghuá Mín'guó
- Wade–Giles Chung-hua Min-kuo
- Bopomofo ㄓㄨㄥ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ
Min
- Hokkien POJ Tiong-hôa Bîn-kok
- Min-dong BUC Dṳ̆ng-huà Mìng-guók
Wu
- Romanization tson平 gho平 min平 koh入
Cantonese
- Jyutping zung1 waa4 man4 gwok3
The Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia located about 160 km (99 mi) off the east coast of mainland China.[18] The Republic of China governs the island of Taiwan, which makes up 99.4% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor islands. Prior to losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949, it ruled most of mainland China, the territory which became the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the oldest surviving republic in East Asia. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east and northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Its capital city is Taipei.[1]
The PRC does not recognize the legitimacy of the ROC and claims Taiwan and other ROC-held areas as a part of its territory, despite never having controlled them. It seeks to unify Taiwan and mainland China under the formula of one country, two systems and refuses to renounce the use of military force. This ongoing dispute is a lingering issue left from the unresolved Chinese Civil War which forms part of the complex issue of the political status of Taiwan. The tension between the two countries colors most of the political life in Taiwan, and any move towards so-called "Taiwan independence" is met by threats from the PRC.[19] The PRC government also refuses to have diplomatic relations with countries which recognize the Republic of China and opposes the ROC taking part in organizations where statehood is required; thus, as of 2010, only 23 sovereign states have formal diplomatic relations with the ROC, though most others retain unofficial exchanges with the ROC that are diplomatic in all but name.
The political environment in Taiwan is generally divided into two major camps in terms of cross-strait relations; the Pan-Blue Coalition supports the One-China policy and believes that the ROC is the sole legitimate government of China. The opposition Pan-Green Coalition regards Taiwan to be an independent, sovereign state synonymous with the ROC, opposes the notion that Taiwan is part of China, and seeks an eventual declaration of Taiwan independence.
A single-party state under the KMT since 1928, the Republic of China evolved into a multi-party democracy in the 1980s and 1990s. It has a semi-presidential system and universal suffrage. The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Legislative Yuan is the ROC's unicameral legislature. During the latter half of the twentieth century, the Republic of China on Taiwan experienced rapid economic growth, industrialization, and democratization. The ROC is a member of the WTO and APEC. It is one of the Four Asian Tigers, and has an industrialized advanced economy. The 19th-largest economy in the world,[20][21] its advanced technology industry plays a key role in the global economy. The ROC is ranked highly in terms of freedom of the press, health care,[22] public education, economic freedom and human development.
Contents
* 1 Names
* 2 History
o 2.1 Founding
o 2.2 Chinese Civil War and World War II
o 2.3 After World War II
o 2.4 Government on Taiwan
* 3 Political status
o 3.1 Conflict with the PRC
+ 3.1.1 United States involvement and current standpoint
o 3.2 Opinions within the ROC
* 4 Government
o 4.1 President
o 4.2 Executive Yuan
o 4.3 Legislature
o 4.4 Judiciary
o 4.5 Audit
o 4.6 Examination
* 5 Administrative regions
o 5.1 First-level division
o 5.2 Second-level division
o 5.3 Claimed territories
* 6 Politics
o 6.1 Major camps
o 6.2 Current political issues
o 6.3 National identity
* 7 Foreign relations
o 7.1 Diplomatic relations
o 7.2 Relations with Mongolia
o 7.3 Participation in international events and organizations
* 8 Military
* 9 Economy
* 10 Education
* 11 Demographics
o 11.1 Religion
o 11.2 Language
o 11.3 Largest cities
* 12 Public health
* 13 Calendar
* 14 International rankings
* 15 Image gallery
* 16 See also
* 17 References
* 18 Further reading
* 19 External links
o 19.1 Overviews and data
o 19.2 Government agencies
o 19.3 Maps
Names
See also: Names of China#Republic of China
The official name of the state is "Republic of China"; it has also been known under various names throughout its existence. Shortly after the ROC's establishment in 1912, while it was still located on the Asian mainland, the government used the abbreviation "China" ("Zhongguó") to refer to itself, for instance during the Olympic Games[23] or at the United Nations. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was common to refer to it as "Nationalist China" to differentiate it from "Communist China" (or "Red China").[24] The ROC also called itself "Free China" in an attempt to portray the PRC as an illegitimate government. At the UN, it was present under the name "China" until it lost its seat to the People's Republic of China. Since then, the name "China" has been commonly used to refer only to the People's Republic of China.[25]
Over subsequent decades, the Republic of China has been commonly known as "Taiwan", due to the fact that Taiwan, the island, composes most of its territory. It is also often informally referred to as the "State of Taiwan", in particular in countries where the ROC is not officially recognized.[26][27][28][29] The Republic of China participates in most international forums and organizations under the name "Chinese Taipei" due to diplomatic pressure from the PRC. For instance, it is the name under which it has competed at the Olympic Games since 1979, and its name as an observer at the World Health Organization.
History
Main article: History of the Republic of China
The Republic of China was formally established on 1 January 1912 on mainland China following the Xinhai Revolution which itself began with the Wuchang Uprising on 10 October 1911, and replaced the Qing Dynasty and ended over two thousand years of imperial rule in China. It is the oldest surviving republic in East Asia. The Republic of China on mainland China went through periods of warlordism, Japanese invasion, and civil war between the Kuomintang led Central Government and the Communists. From its founding until 1949 it was based in mainland China. Central authority waxed and waned in response to warlordism (1915–28), Japanese invasion (1937–45), and the Chinese Civil War (1927–49), with central authority strongest during the Nanjing Decade (1927–37) when most of China came under the control of the Kuomintang (KMT). At the end of World War II in 1945, the Empire of Japan surrendered control of Taiwan and its island groups to the Allied Forces, and Taiwan was placed under Republic of China's administrative control. The legitamacy of this transfer is disputed and is another aspect of the disputed political status of Taiwan.
The Communist takeover of mainland China in the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and later Hainan, Tachen and other outlying islands in the early 1950s left the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) with control over only Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other minor islands. With the 1949 loss of mainland China in the civil war, the ROC government fled to Taiwan and the KMT declared Taipei the provisional capital.[30] The Communist Party of China took over all of mainland China[31][32] and founded the People's Republic of China in Beijing, leading to two rival governments claiming to be the sole legitimate government of "China". However, until the 1970s the ROC was still recognized by many countries and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of "China", which included both mainland China and Taiwan. The ROC had been a founding member of the United Nations[33] and one of the five permanent members of the Security Council until 1971, when China's representation was replaced by the PRC via UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Since then, ROC has struggled with limited formal diplomatic relations and is unable to use its official name widely, and is forced to be identified as "Taiwan" or "Chinese Taipei" in most international contexts.
Starting in 1928, the Republic of China was ruled by the Kuomintang as an authoritarian single-party state.[34] In the 1950s and 1960s, the KMT went through wide restructuring and decreased corruption and implemented land reform. There followed a period of great economic growth, the Republic of China became one of the Four Asian Tigers, despite the constant threat of war and civil unrest. In the 1980s and 1990s the government peacefully transitioned to a democratic system, with the first direct presidential election in 1996 and the 2000 election of Chen Shui-bian, the first non-KMT after 1949 to become President of the Republic of China. The KMT regained presidency and increased its majority in the legislature in the 2008 presidential and legislative elections.[35]
Founding
Map of the Republic of China printed by Rand McNally & Co. in 1914. The Republic of China encompassed mainland China while Taiwan was part of the Empire of Japan.
Territory of the Republic of China in 1914
A drawing depicting two lions looking up in front of two flags. The flag on the left is red and blue with a white sun; while the one on the right is made of five vertical stripes (black, white, blue, yellow and red). Two circular pictures of two Chinese men stand in front of each flag.
Yuan Shikai (left) and Sun Yat-sen (right) with flags representing the early republic
In 1911, after over two thousand years of imperial rule, a republic was established in China and the monarchy overthrown by a group of revolutionaries. The Qing Dynasty, having just experienced a century of instability, suffered from both internal rebellion and foreign imperialism.[36] The Neo-Confucian principles that had, to that time, sustained the dynastic system were now called into question.[37] Its support of the Boxers, who claimed to have magical powers, against the world's major powers was its final mistake. The Qing forces were defeated and China was forced to give a huge indemnity to the foreign powers; an equivalent to £67 million to be paid over 39 years. Disconnected from the population and unable to face the challenges of modern China, the Qing government was in its final throes. Only the lack of an alternative regime in sight was prolonging its existence until 1912.[38][39]
The establishment of Republican China developed out of the Wuchang Uprising against the Qing on 10 October 1911. That date is now celebrated annually as the ROC's national day, also known as the "Double Ten Day". On 29 December 1911, Sun Yat-Sen was elected president by the Nanjing assembly representing seventeen provinces. On 1 January 1912, he was officially inaugurated and pledged "to overthrow the despotic Manchu government, consolidate the Republic of China and plan for the welfare of the people".
Sun however lacked the military support to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. Realizing this, he handed over the presidency to Yuan Shikai, the imperial general, who then forced the last emperor Puyi to abdicate. Yuan Shikai was officially elected president in 1913.[36][40] Yuan ruled by military power and ignored the republican institutions established by his predecessor, threatening to execute Senate members that would disagree with his decisions. He soon dissolved the ruling Kuomintang party and banned "secret organizations" (which implicitly included the KMT), and ignored the provisional constitution. An attempt at a democratic election in 1911 ended up with the assassination of the elected candidate by a man recruited by Yuan. Ultimately, Yuan Shikai declared himself Emperor of China in 1915.[41] The new ruler of China tried to increase centralization by abolishing the provincial system; however this move angered the gentry along with the province governors, usually military men. Many provinces declared independence and became warlord states. Increasingly unpopular and deserted by his supporters, Yuan Shikai gave up on becoming Emperor in 1916 and died of natural causes shortly after.[42][43]
Thus devoid of a strong, unified government, China thrust into another period of warlordism. Sun Yat-sen, forced into exile, returned to Guangdong province in the south with the help of warlords in 1917 and 1922, and set up successive rival governments; he re-established the KMT in October 1919. Sun's dream was to unify China by launching an expedition to the north. He however lacked military support and funding to make it a reality.[44]
The Beiyang government in Beijing struggled to hold on to power. An open and wide-ranging debate evolved regarding how China should confront the West. In 1919, a student protest against the weak response of China to the Treaty of Versailles, considered unfair by Chinese intellectuals, led to the May Fourth movement. These demonstrations were aimed at spreading western influence to replace Chinese culture. It is also in this intellectual climate that the influence of Marxism spread and became more popular. It eventually led to the founding of the Communist Party of China in 1920.[45]
Chinese Civil War and World War II
Further information: Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese civil war
A Chinese man in military uniform, smiling and looking towards the left. He holds a sword in his left hand and has a medal in shape of a sun on his chest.
Chiang Kai-shek, who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925
After Sun's death in March 1925, Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the KMT. In 1926, Chiang led the Northern Expedition through China with the intention of defeating the warlords and unifying China. Chiang received the help of the Soviet Union; however he soon dismissed his Soviet advisors. He was convinced, not without reason, that they wanted to get rid of the Nationalists and take over control.[46] Chiang decided to strike first and purged the Communists, killing thousands of them. At the same time, other violent conflicts were taking place in China; in the South, where the Communists were in superior numbers, Nationalist supporters were being massacred. These events eventually led to the Chinese Civil War. Chiang Kai-shek pushed the Communists into the interior as he sought to destroy them, and established a government with Nanking as its capital in 1927.[47] By 1928, Chiang's army overturned the Beiyang government and unified the entire nation, at least nominally.
According to Sun Yat-sen's theory, the KMT was to rebuild China in three phases: a phase of military rule through which the KMT would take over power and reunite China by force; a phase of political tutelage; and finally a constitutional democratic phase.[48] In 1930, the Nationalists, having taken over the power, started the second phase, and promulgated a provisional constitution for the political tutelage period and began the period of so-called "tutelage".[49] They were criticized as instituting totalitarianism but claimed they were attempting to establish a modern democratic society. Among others, they created at that time the Academia Sinica, the Bank of China and other agencies. In 1932, China sent a team for the first time to the Olympic Games. Historians, such as Edmund Fung, argue that establishing a democracy in China at that time was not possible. The nation was at war and divided between Communists and Nationalists. Corruption within the government and lack of direction also prevented any significant reform from taking place. Chiang realized the lack of real work being done within his administration and told the State Council: "Our organization becomes worse and worse... many staff members just sit at their desks and gaze into space, others read newspapers and still others sleep."[50] The Nationalist government wrote a draft of the constitution in 5 May 1936.[51]
The Nationalists faced a new challenge with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, with hostilities continuing through the Second Sino-Japanese War, part of World War II, from 1937 to 1945. The government of the Republic of China retreated from Nanking to Chongqing. In 1945, after the war of eight years, Japan surrendered and the Republic of China, under the name "China", became one of the founding members of the United Nations. The government returned to Nanking in 1946.
After World War II
Further information: Taiwan after World War II and Taiwan Strait Crisis
Chiang Kai-shek (center) and Mao Zedong (right) with US diplomat Patrick J. Hurley (left) in 1945
After the defeat of Japan during World War II, Taiwan was surrendered to the Allies, with ROC troops accepting the surrender of the Japanese garrison. The government of the ROC proclaimed the "retrocession" of Taiwan to the Republic of China and established the provincial government at Taiwan. The military administration of the ROC extended over Taiwan, which led to widespread unrest and increasing tensions between Taiwanese and mainlanders.[52] The shooting of a civilian on 28 February 1947 triggered island-wide unrest, which was suppressed with military force in what is now called the 228 Incident. Mainstream estimates of casualties range from 18,000 to 30,000, mainly Taiwanese elites.[53][54] The 228 incident has had far-reaching effects on subsequent Taiwan history.
From 1945 to 1947, under United States mediation, especially through the Marshall Mission, the Nationalists and Communists agreed to start a series of peace talks aiming at establishing a coalition government. They however failed to reach an agreement and the civil war resumed.[55] In the context of political and military animosity, the National Assembly was summoned by the Nationalists without the participation of the Communists and promulgated the Constitution of the Republic of China. The constitution was criticized by the Communists,[56] and led to the final break between the two sides.[57] The full scale civil war resumed from early 1947.[58]
In 1948, the ROC administration imposed perpetual martial law.[30] Meanwhile, the civil war was escalating from regional areas to the entire nation. Eventually, the Communist troops, supported by the Soviet Union, defeated the ROC army, supported by the United States. In December 1949, Chiang evacuated the government to Taiwan and made Taipei the temporary capital of the ROC (also called the "wartime capital" by Chiang Kai-shek).[31][59] In his retreat, he also transferred China's gold reserves to Taiwan. Between one and two million refugees from mainland China followed him, adding to the earlier population of approximately six million.[30][60]
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