What's behind China-Taiwan tensions? - BBC News

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province, but many Taiwanese people want a separate nation. Imagesource,AFPImagecaption,ManyTaiwaneseseetheirislandasseparatenationTensionsoverTaiwanarespikingoveravisitbyUSHouseofRepresentativesSpeakerNancyPelosi-andthishasonlyfurtherstrainedrelationsbetweenWashingtonandBeijing.AttheheartofthedivideisthattheChinesegovernmentseesTaiwanasabreakawayprovincethatwill,eventually,bepartofthecountry.ButmanyTaiwanesepeopleconsidertheirself-ruledislandtobeaseparatenation-whetherornotindependenceiseverofficiallydeclared.WhatisthehistorybetweenChinaandTaiwan?ThefirstknownsettlersinTaiwanwereAustronesiantribalpeople,whoarethoughttohavecomefrommoderndaysouthernChina.TheislandseemstohavefirstappearedinChineserecordsinAD239,whenanemperorsentanexpeditionaryforcetoexplorethearea-afactBeijingusestobackitsterritorialclaim.AfterarelativelybriefspellasaDutchcolony(1624-1661),TaiwanwasadministeredbyChina'sQingdynastyfrom1683to1895.Fromthe17thCentury,significantnumbersofmigrantsstartedarrivingfromChina,oftenfleeingturmoilorhardship.MostwereHokloChinesefromFujian(Fukien)provinceorHakkaChinese,largelyfromGuangdong.Theirdescendantsarenowbyfarthelargestdemographicgroupsontheisland.In1895,JapanwontheFirstSino-JapaneseWar,andtheQinggovernmenthadtocedeTaiwantoJapan.AfterWorldWarTwo,JapansurrenderedandrelinquishedcontrolofterritoryithadtakenfromChina.TheRepublicofChina(ROC)-oneofthevictorsinthewar-beganrulingTaiwanwiththeconsentofitsallies,theUSandUK.ButinthenextfewyearsacivilwarbrokeoutinChina,andthethen-leaderChiangKai-shek'stroopsweredefeatedbyMaoZedong'sCommunistarmy.Chiang,theremnantsofhisKuomintang(KMT)governmentandtheirsupporters-about1.5mpeople-fledtoTaiwanin1949.Thisgroup,referredtoasMainlandChinese,dominatedTaiwan'spoliticsformanyyearsthoughtheyonlyaccountfor14%ofthepopulation.ChiangestablishedagovernmentinexileinTaiwanwhichheledforthenext25years.Chiang'sson,ChiangChing-kuo,allowedmoredemocratisationaftercomingtopower.Hefacedresistancefromlocalpeopleresentfulofauthoritarianruleandwasunderpressurefromagrowingdemocracymovement.PresidentLeeTeng-hui,knownasTaiwan's"fatherofdemocracy",ledconstitutionalchangestowards,whicheventuallymadewayfortheelectionoftheisland'sfirstnon-KMTpresident,ChenShui-bian,in2000.SowhorecognisesTaiwan?ThereisdisagreementandconfusionaboutwhatTaiwanis.Ithasitsownconstitution,democratically-electedleaders,andabout300,000activetroopsinitsarmedforces.Chiang'sROCgovernment-in-exileatfirstclaimedtorepresentthewholeofChina,whichitintendedtore-occupy.ItheldChina'sseatontheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilandwasrecognisedbymanyWesternnationsastheonlyChinesegovernment.Imagesource,CentralPressImagecaption,ChiangKai-shek,oncetheleaderinChina,fledwithhissupporterstoTaiwanButbythe1970ssomecountriesbegantoarguethattheTaipeigovernmentcouldnolongerbeconsideredagenuinerepresentativeofthehundredsofmillionsofpeoplelivinginmainlandChina.Thenin1971,theUNswitcheddiplomaticrecognitiontoBeijingandtheROCgovernmentwasforcedout.In1978,Chinaalsobeganopeningupitseconomy.Recognisingopportunitiesfortradeandtheneedtodeveloprelations,theUSformallyestablisheddiplomatictieswithBeijingin1979.SincethenthenumberofcountriesthatrecognisetheROCgovernmentdiplomaticallyhasfallendrasticallytoabout15.Now,despitehavingallthecharacteristicofanindependentstateandapoliticalsystemthatisdistinctfromChina,Taiwan'slegalstatusremainsunclear.HowarerelationsbetweenTaiwanandChina?Relationsstartedimprovinginthe1980sasTaiwanrelaxedrulesonvisitstoandinvestmentinChina.In1991,itproclaimedthatthewarwiththePeople'sRepublicofChinawasover.Chinaproposedtheso-called"onecountry,twosystems"option,whichitsaidwouldallowTaiwansignificantautonomyifitagreedtocomeunderBeijing'scontrol.ThissystemunderpinnedHongKong'sreturntoChinain1997andthemannerinwhichitwasgoverneduntilrecently,whenBeijinghassoughttoincreaseitsinfluence.TaiwanrejectedtheofferandBeijing'sinsistedthatTaiwan'sROCgovernmentisillegitimate-butunofficialrepresentativesfromChinaandTaiwanstillheldlimitedtalks.Thenin2000,TaiwanelectedChenShui-bianaspresident,muchtoBeijing'salarm.MrChenandhisparty,theDemocraticProgressiveParty(DPP),hadopenlybacked"independence".AyearafterMrChenwasre-electedin2004,Chinapassedaso-calledanti-secessionlaw,statingChina'srighttouse"non-peacefulmeans"againstTaiwanifittriedto"secede"fromChina.MrChenwassucceededbytheKMT'sMaYing-jeouin2008whotriedimprovingrelationsthrougheconomicagreements.Eightyearslater,in2016,Taiwan'scurrentpresidentTsaiIng-wen,whonowleadstheindependence-leaningDPP,waselected.Imagesource,ReutersImagecaption,UnderMsTsai,cross-StraitsrelationssouredagainTherhetoricsharpenedfurtherin2018asBeijingsteppeduppressureoninternationalcompanies-iftheyfailedtolistTaiwanasapartofChinaontheirwebsites,itthreatenedtoblockthemfromdoingbusinessinChina.MsTsaiwonasecondtermin2020witharecord-breaking8.2millionvotesinwhatwaswidelyseenasasnubtoBeijing.BythenHongKonghadseenmonthsofunrest,withhugeprotestersagainstthemainland'sgrowinginfluence-andmanyinTaiwanwerewatchingclosely.Laterthatyear,China'simplementedanationalsecuritylawinHongKongthatisconsideredtobeyetanothersignofBeijing'sassertion.HowmuchofanissueisindependenceinTaiwan?Whilepoliticalprogresshasbeenslow,linksbetweenBeijingandTaipei,andthetwoeconomieshavegrown.Between1991andtheendofMay2021,TaiwaneseinvestmentinChinatotalled$193.5bn(£157.9bn),Taiwaneseofficialfiguresshow.SomeTaiwanesepeopleworrytheireconomyisnowdependentonChina.OthersbelievethatcloserbusinesstiesmakeChinesemilitaryactionlesslikely,becauseofthecosttoChina'sowneconomy.Acontroversialtradeagreementsparkedthe"SunflowerMovement"in2014,wherestudentsandactivistsoccupiedTaiwan'sparliamentprotestingagainstwhattheycalledChina'sgrowinginfluenceoverTaiwan.Officially,therulingDPPstillfavoursformalindependenceforTaiwan,whiletheKMTfavourseventualunificationwithChina.Imagesource,AFP/GettyImagesImagecaption,RecentpollsshowmanyTaiwanesesupportthegovernment'sapproachin"safeguardingnationalsovereignty"ButmostTaiwanesepeopleseemtofallsomewhereinbetween.AJune2022surveyfoundthatonly5.2%ofTaiwanesesupportedindependenceassoonaspossible,while1.3%wereinfavourofunificationwithmainlandChinaattheearliestpossibility.Therestsupportedsomeformofmaintainingthestatusquo,withthelargestgroupwantingtomaintainitindefinitelywithnomovetowardseitherindependenceorunification.WhatdoestheUShavetodowiththeChina-Taiwandivide?Washington'slong-standingpolicyhasbeenoneof"strategicambiguity"totheextentthatitwouldintervenemilitarilyifChinaweretoinvadeTaiwan.Officially,itstickstothe"One-China"policy,whichrecognisesonlyoneChinesegovernment-inBeijing-andhasformaltieswithBeijingratherthanTaipei.ButithasalsopledgedtosupplyTaiwanwithdefensiveweaponsandstressedthatanyattackbyChinawouldcause"graveconcern".InMay2022,PresidentJoeBidenrepliedintheaffirmativewhenaskedwhethertheUSwoulddefendTaiwanmilitarily.Soonafter,theWhiteHousequicklyclarifiedthattheUSpositiononTaiwanhadnotchangedandreiterateditscommitmenttothe"One-China"policy.IthassimilarlycontradictedpreviousstatementsbyMrBidenonmilitarysupportforTaiwan.TheissueofTaiwanhasalsostrainedrelationsbetweentheUSandChina.BeijinghascondemnedanyperceivedsupportfromWashingtonforTaipei-andhasrespondedbysteppingupincursionsofmilitaryjetsintoTaiwan'sairdefencezonesinceMrBiden'selection.MoreonthisstoryChinamilitarydrillasUSenvoyvisitsTaiwan18September2020USangersChinawithhigh-profileTaiwanvisit10August2020WhyUS-Chinarelationshavereachedalow24July2020China-Taiwanrelationsin60secs4May2015TaiwanandChinatoholdkeysummit4November2015RelatedTopicsChinaTaiwanTopStoriesRussianstrikeonrailstationkills22-UkrainePublished6hoursagoPolicechieffiredoverTexasschoolshootingPublished51minutesagoKobeBryant'swidowawarded$16movercrashphotosPublished3hoursagoFeaturesHastheworldforgottenthestatelessrefugees?IsIndia’sskewedsexratioatbirthgettingbetter?WhatChina'sworstdroughtonrecordlookslikeOncallwithItaly'shorsebackdoctor.VideoOncallwithItaly'shorsebackdoctorIsBiden'sstudentdebtforgivenessfair?WhyAfricancountriesarebuyingTurkishdronesPeopleinKyivontheshockofsixmonthsofwar.VideoPeopleinKyivontheshockofsixmonthsofwarWhyIndiamadeaU-turnonfreetradedealsWhyAucklandisthe'spongiest'cityElsewhereontheBBCTurkey'smassivesubterraneancityThelanguagewithnoknownoriginWhyoverthinkersstrugglewithremoteworkMostRead1IsBiden'sstudentdebtforgivenessfair?2Googleaccusedofairbrushingimpactofflying3Russianstrikeonrailstationkills22-Ukraine4KobeBryant'swidowawarded$16movercrashphotos5PolicechieffiredoverTexasschoolshooting6MacrontomendAlgeriatiesasenergycrisisbites7Bidencancels$10,000instudentdebtformillions8Pilot,17,becomesyoungesttoflytheworldsolo9WhyIndiamadeaU-turnonfreetradedeals10ThaicourtsuspendsPMandcoupleaderPrayuth