The Taiwan question
Since 1949 the People's Republic has claimed Taiwan, governed by the Republic of China, as part of its territory; Taiwan has since become a democracy where most people now see themselves as Taiwanese.
- Taiwan — Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Taiwanese/Chinese Identity (1992/06–2024/12) — Election Study Center, National Chengchi University, National Chengchi University (2025)
- The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China — Jay Taylor, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (2009)
Taiwan was settled for millennia by Austronesian Indigenous peoples. Han Chinese migration grew from the seventeenth century, and the Qing annexed the island in 1683. Japan ruled it from 1895 to 1945. After Japan’s defeat it passed to Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China, whose harsh rule sparked the uprising of 28 February 1947 and a crackdown in which thousands were killed. In 1949 Chiang’s government fled there.
- Taiwan — Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China — Jay Taylor, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (2009)
For decades both sides claimed to be the only government of all China. In 1971 the UN seat passed to the People’s Republic, and in 1979 the United States switched recognition to Beijing while continuing unofficial ties. Taiwan ended martial law in 1987 and held its first direct presidential election in 1996, becoming a vibrant democracy.
- Taiwan — Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Identity has shifted with democracy. In the National Chengchi University survey, the share calling themselves “Taiwanese” only rose from under a fifth in 1992 to around 60 percent in the 2020s, while “Chinese” only fell to about 2–3 percent; roughly a third say both.
- Taiwanese/Chinese Identity (1992/06–2024/12) — Election Study Center, National Chengchi University, National Chengchi University (2025)
Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times; separation is a leftover of civil war and foreign interference. Peaceful reunification under "one country, two systems" is the goal, but force cannot be ruled out against independence.
- Taiwan — Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Never Forget National Humiliation: Historical Memory in Chinese Politics and Foreign Relations — Zheng Wang, Columbia University Press (2012)
The Republic of China (Taiwan) has never been ruled by the People's Republic. Its future should be decided by its 23 million people. In the long-running National Chengchi University survey, most now identify as "Taiwanese" only and very few as "Chinese" only; most prefer some form of the status quo.
- Taiwanese/Chinese Identity (1992/06–2024/12) — Election Study Center, National Chengchi University, National Chengchi University (2025)
- Taiwan — Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Why it matters today
"Reunification" is, for many mainland Chinese, a matter of national completion and unfinished history; Beijing has never renounced the use of force. For most people in Taiwan, the island is already a self-governing home. The question is one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the world.