China and Taiwan: A really simple guide - BBC News

The split between the two came about after World War Two, when there was fighting in mainland China between nationalist government forces and ... USpresidentJoeBidenhassaidhewouldbewillingtouseforcetodefendTaiwan,butWhiteHouseofficialsinsisttheUShasnotchangeditsposition.Washingtonhashadalong-standingpolicyof"strategicambiguity"onwhetheritwouldintervenemilitarilyintheeventofaChineseattackonTaiwan.China'sPresidentXiJinpinghassaid"reunification"withTaiwan"mustbefulfilled"-andhasnotruledoutthepossibleuseofforcetoachievethis.Chinaseesself-ruledTaiwanasabreakawayprovincethatwilleventuallybepartofthecountryagain.However,Taiwanseesitselfasanindependentcountry,withitsownconstitutionanddemocratically-electedleaders.WhereisTaiwan?Taiwanisanisland,roughly100milesfromthecoastofsoutheastChina.Itsitsintheso-called"firstislandchain",whichincludesalistofUS-friendlyterritoriesthatarecrucialtoUSforeignpolicy.IfChinawastotakeoverTaiwan,somewesternexpertssuggestitcouldbefreertoprojectpowerinthewesternPacificregionandcouldpossiblyeventhreatenUSmilitarybasesasfarawayasGuamandHawaii.ButChinainsiststhatitsintentionsarepurelypeaceful.WhyisTaiwanseparatefromChina?ThesplitbetweenthetwocameaboutafterWorldWarTwo,whentherewasfightinginmainlandChinabetweennationalistgovernmentforcesandtheChineseCommunistParty.Thecommunistswonin1949,andtheirleader,MaoZedong,tookcontrolinBeijing.Meanwhile,thenationalistparty-knownastheKuomintang-fledtonearbyTaiwan.Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,ChiangKai-shekledtheKuomintangafterfleeingtoTaiwanTheKuomintanghasbeenoneofTaiwan'smostprominentpoliticalpartieseversince-rulingtheislandforasignificantpartofitshistory.Currently,only13countries(plustheVatican)recogniseTaiwanasasovereigncountry.ChinaexertsconsiderablediplomaticpressureonothercountriesnottorecogniseTaiwan,ortodoanythingwhichimpliesrecognition.Taiwan'sdefenceministerhassaidrelationswithChinaaretheworsttheyhavebeenfor40years.EuropeanstatedarestodefyChinathenwobblesCanTaiwandefenditself?Chinacouldattempttobringaboutreunificationbynon-militarymeanssuchasstrengtheningeconomicties.Butinanymilitaryconfrontation,China'sarmedforceswoulddwarfthoseofTaiwan.ChinaspendsmorethananycountryexcepttheUSondefenceandcoulddrawonahugerangeofcapabilities,fromnavalpowertomissiletechnology,aircraftandcyberattacks.MuchofChina'smilitarypowerisfocusedelsewherebut,inoveralltermsofactivedutypersonnelforexample,thereisahugeimbalancebetweenthetwosides.Inanopenconflict,somewesternexpertspredictthatTaiwancouldatbestaimtoslowaChineseattack,trytopreventashorelandingbyChineseamphibiousforces,andmountguerrillastrikeswhilstwaitingforoutsidehelp.ThathelpcouldcomefromtheUSwhichsellsarmstoTaiwan.Untilnow,Washington'spolicyof"strategicambiguity"hasmeanttheUShasbeendeliberatelyunclearaboutwhetherorhowitwoulddefendTaiwanintheeventofanattack.Diplomatically,theUScurrentlystickstothe"One-China"policy,whichrecognisesonlyoneChinesegovernment-inBeijing-andhasformaltieswithChinaratherthanTaiwan.ButonMonday,USpresidentJoeBidenappearedtohardenWashington'sposition.AskedwhethertheUSwoulddefendTaiwanmilitarily,MrBidenreplied:"Yes."HealsodrewaparallelbetweenthepossibilityofaChineseattackonTaiwanandRussia'sinvasionofUkraine:"Theideathat,thatit[Taiwan]canbetakenbyforce,justtakenbyforce,isjustnot,isjustnotappropriate.ItwilldislocatetheentireregionandbeanotheractionsimilartowhathappenedinUkraine."Isthesituationgettingworse?In2021,ChinaappearedtorampuppressurebysendingmilitaryaircraftintoTaiwan'sAirDefenceZone,aself-declaredareawhereforeignaircraftareidentified,monitored,andcontrolledintheinterestsofnationalsecurity.Taiwanmadedataonplaneincursionspublicin2020.ThenumbersofaircraftreportedpeakedinOctober2021,with56incursionsinasingleday.WhyisTaiwanimportantfortherestoftheworld?Taiwan'seconomyishugelyimportant.Muchoftheworld'severydayelectronicequipment-fromphonestolaptops,watchesandgamesconsoles-ispoweredbycomputerchipsmadeinTaiwan.Byonemeasure,asingleTaiwanesecompany-theTaiwanSemiconductorManufacturingCompanyorTSMC-hasoverhalfoftheworld'smarket.TSMCisaso-called"foundry"-acompanywhichmakeschipsdesignedbyconsumerandmilitarycustomers.Itisavastindustry,worthalmost$100bn(£730bn)in2021.AChinesetakeoverinTaiwancouldgiveBeijingsomecontroloveroneoftheworld'smostimportantindustries.AretheTaiwanesepeopleworried?DespitetherecenttensionsbetweenChinaandTaiwan,researchsuggeststhatmanyTaiwanesepeoplearerelativelyuntroubled.InOctobertheTaiwanPublicOpinionFoundationaskedpeoplewhethertheythoughtthattherewould,eventually,bewarwithChina.Almosttwothirds(64.3%)repliedthattheydidnot.SeparateresearchindicatesthatmostpeopleinTaiwanidentifyasTaiwanese-embracingadistinctlydifferentidentity.SurveysconductedbytheNationalChengchiUniversitysincetheearly1990sindicatethattheproportionofpeoplewhoidentifyasChinese,orbothChineseandTaiwanese,hasfallenandthatmostpeopleconsiderthemselvesasTaiwanese.Youmayalsobeinterestedin...WhyChinacouldwinthenewglobalarmsraceRelatedTopicsChinaTaiwanTopStoriesAfricansarevictimsofUkrainewar,PutintoldPublished51minutesagoNorthKoreatakeshelmoftopdisarmamentgroupPublished18hoursagoStudentshidetinyTiananmen'goddesses'oncampusPublished13hoursagoFeaturesFivewaysRu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