Taiwan: In China's shadow and in international spotlight
March 18, 1996
Web posted at: 10:45 p.m. EST (0345 GMT)Taiwan, an island about 100 miles off the southeastern coast of China, has frequently found itself receiving international attention far out of proportion to its small size.
The leaf-shaped island, one of the most densely populated places on earth with 21 million people, is only about 245 miles long and 90 miles wide. It is dwarfed by mainland China, with a population of 1.2 billion.
For most of modern history, Taiwan was known in the West as Formosa, a name meaning "beautiful" that was given to it by Portuguese sailors.
After being ruled by mainland Chinese dynasties for more than 400 years, Taiwan was invaded alternately by the Dutch and Spaniards during the 17th century. By the end of the century, however, it had reverted to Chinese rule.
In 1895, after China lost the Sino-Japanese war, Taiwan was ceded to Japan. The Japanese ruled the island for 50 years -- until the end of World War II.
Following the Communist takeover of the mainland in 1949, Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek transplanted his government to Taiwan's capital, Taipei. Chiang's Nationalist Party, known as the Kuomingtang, or KMT, continued to insist it was the legitimate government of all of China.
Chiang's troops started coming to the island during the Chinese civil war. These "mainlanders" gained a reputation for treating the Taiwanese Chinese as a conquered people. Friction increased, and in February 1947, the mainlanders slaughtered thousands of Taiwanese.
The mainlanders and their descendants make up about 15 percent of the population but, until recently, completely dominated the government through election rules that kept them in power.
The Cold War spurred the United States to support Taiwan's fiercely anti-Communist government, which billed itself as "Free China." The two countries signed a mutual security pact in 1954.
In 1958, China launched an extensive artillery barrage against Quemoy and Matsu, two small islands controlled by Taiwan, close to the mainland. Taiwan's forces withstood the attack.
In 1971, Taiwan -- known as the Republic of China -- lost its seat in the United Nations to the mainland government, the People's Republic of China. It became increasingly isolated diplomatically. In 1979, the United States became the last major country to switch its recognition to Beijing. Today, only a handful of countries have diplomatic relations with Taipei. Both Taipei and Beijing insist that a country may only recognize one Chinese government.
Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975 and was succeeded by his vice president, Yen Chia-kan. Real power and control over Taiwan's government remained with the late leader's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, who was formally elected president in 1978 and again in 1984.
Chiang Ching-kuo began the process of liberalization in Taiwan by lifting martial law -- in effect since 1949 -- and lifting bans on travel to and from the mainland, although direct travel between China and Taiwan is still not allowed.
His successor, Lee Teng-hui, continued the process, lifting a 43-year state of emergency and technically ending four decades of unwaged "civil war" against the mainland.
Leaders from the mainland and the island held their first high-level talks in 1993, but relations have remained rocky as Taiwan seeks to forge its own identity and gain worldwide political acceptance.
Lee Teng-hui has been forced to walk a fine line between those who want complete independence from the mainland and those who seek reunification.
Discussion of Taiwan independence -- once considered an act of treason -- is now allowed, but it remains controversial. Taiwanese are more inclined to support such a move than are the mainlanders. But even many Taiwanese feel that the status quo is the safest course for the near future.
Mao Tse-tung, the leader of the revolution that pushed Chiang Kai-shek onto the island, from the start made no effort to hide his desire to bring the island back under the fold, saying at one point that he was willing to wait 100 years to do so.
Chinese Premier Li Peng has said that no matter what the outcome of the election, the island's voters "cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China and its leaders are only leaders of a region of China."
He has said he prefers a peaceful recovery of the island -- perhaps after China reclaims Hong Kong in 1997 and Macau in 1999 -- but also insists that China has "not forsworn the use of force."
Taiwan's current leaders still hope for eventual reunification, but only if China's communist system is abolished and the gap between the high standard of living in Taiwan and the relative poverty of the mainland is narrowed.
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