China’s Claim Over Taiwan – OpEd

Taiwan, also referred to as the Republic of China (ROC), which is an island situated across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. Since 1949, it has been run separately from the rest of China as the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The nationalist government of the Republic of China (ROC), headed by the Kuomintang (KMT), seized power in Taiwan in 1945 when hostilities in World War II came to an end. The legitimacy and nature of its rule over Taiwan, including the transfer of sovereignty, the sovereignty of Taiwan became questioned, but the  United States and the United Kingdom stated that, there was no such transfer in the sovereignty of Taiwan. The  Republic of China’s (ROC) government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) withdrew to Taiwan in 1949 after losing control of mainland China in the Chinese Civil War, and due to the withdrew of KMT Chiang Kai-shek imposed martial law there. 

In the 1950s, tensions between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) over vital islands in the Taiwan Strait led to armed confrontation. The PRC bombarded islands governed by the ROC on two distinct occasions in the 1950s.

As a result of  Taiwan’s complex  political position the Republic of China (ROC), has participated in a number of international organizations under the moniker “Chinese Taipei”.  The People’s Republic of China (PRC) rejects diplomatic relations with any nation that recognises the Republic of China (ROC) due to the government’s one China policy, which argues that Taiwan is an integral part of the PRC and that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) ceased to exist. Taiwan, Penghu, Quemoy, Lienchiang,  and other tiny islands are still governed by the (Republic of China (ROC).

The PRC declares that, Taiwan will one day “unify” with the mainland and sees the island as a renegade province. Political leaders in Taiwan, an island nation with a democratically elected government and a population of 23 million, hold contrasting opinions about the status of the island and its ties to the mainland.

Relations between the two countries have became more tense ever since Tsai ing-wen was elected president of Taiwan in 2016. Tsai has rejected a plan that Ma Ying-jeou, her predecessor, supported in order to foster stronger ties across the Taiwan Strait. Meanwhile, Beijing has been acting more and more aggressively including flying fighter jets close to the island. Some observers worry that a Chinese strike on Taiwan may lead to a conflict between the United States and China.

Beijing claims that Taiwan is a part of “one China” . China seeks Taiwan’s final “unification” with the mainland because it sees the PRC as the sole legitimate government in the country.

Wang’s roughly 23-minute speech was motivated by rising Sino-American tensions over the independent island. Wang said in his speech that, “The fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China has never changed, all of Chinese have never ceased our efforts to realize reunification” . 

Wang also defended the idea of “One China,” stating that “181 countries recognised and agreed that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is a part of China, and the PRC’s government is the sole legitimate government representing the entirety of China.”

The “Taiwan Miracle” refers to Taiwan’s swift industrialisation and expansion in the second half of the 20^th century. Together with Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong, Taiwan is one of the “Four Asian Tigers”.

The economy of Taiwan is quite significant. Due to its electronic manufacturing. Taiwan is a highly advanced economy producing an estimated $786 billion in goods and services in 2021.Taiwanese computer chips power a large portion of the world’s common electronic devices, including phones, computers, watches, and game consoles.

According to one measure , the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, also known as TSMC, controls more than half of the global market.  

According to the survey of 2022, Taiwanese people are unimpressed by the PRC government’s celebration of its strong domestic political and economic performance and rising international standing. Just 8% of respondents to the survey had a favourable opinion of the PRC government, leaving 63% with a negative perception. That’s especially true for young people, although no age group had a favourable opinion of the PRC administration.

The Republic of China (Taiwan), which has its own economy, currency, military, and elected leaders, is currently a fully democratic nation. The communist PRC government is in charge of the Chinese mainland. The PRC is recognised as China’s government by the majority of nations. Regardless of their cultural identification, Taiwanese people consider themselves to be citizens of a country other than the PRC. Their state is a liberal democracy, which distinguishes it from the PRC and previous Taiwanese states.

From above all we conclude that due to  the significant economy of Taiwan China is still concerned about Taiwan but the people of Taiwan are not willing to become part of PRC because they are not impressed by the PRC government’s policies and as well as the culture identification is the main cause which is compiling the people of Taiwan not to become the part of PRC. Because the Taiwan is democratic country which distinguished it from PRC.

Sughra Jan Muhammad did her graduation from University of Balochistan, Quetta, in International Relations.