Taiwan, China
Encyclopedia
"Taiwan, China" or "Taiwan, Province of China" is a set of politically controversial and potentially ambiguous terms that characterize Taiwan and its associated territories as a province
or territory of "China
". However, the term is problematic and potentially ambiguous because since 1949, two states with the name "China"
exist, namely the Republic of China
(ROC, founded 1911 and now known as "Taiwan") and the People's Republic of China
(PRC, founded 1949 and now known as "China"). Since the ROC no longer rules most of mainland China
and subsequently became commonly known as "Taiwan", and the PRC, which is now commonly known as "China" by the international community
and which has never controlled Taiwan but claims it as part of PRC's territory, "Taiwan, China" is a term that implicitly places the ROC/"Taiwan", which is sovereign
, under the sovereignty of PRC/"China". Its use is usually politically promulgated by the Communist
PRC government as a way to claim that the ROC/"Taiwan" is under its sovereignty
, since the PRC claims to be the legitimate government of "all China", which, according to its definition, includes Taiwan also. The ROC government
disputes the PRC position and it along with many ROC citizens
consider this term incorrect and offensive and its use a purposeful false identification which denies the ROC's sovereignty
, and object to its use. It is particularly offensive to those Taiwanese who believe in Taiwan Independence
and want to disassociate Taiwan with "China" and a Chinese identity, and consider it a lie and an oxymoron
. However, some Taiwanese may not necessarily oppose this term, particularly those who view themselves as "Chinese" and support eventual Chinese reunification
.
in the Chinese Civil War
to the Chinese Communists
in 1949, when the Communists established the PRC on that territory. The ROC government relocated to Taiwan
but both the ROC and the PRC still officially (constitutionally) claim both mainland China
and Taiwan Area as part of their respective territories. In practice, the PRC rules Mainland China and has no control of but claims Taiwan as part of its territory under its "One China Principle". The ROC now only rules Taiwan
and its nearby minor islands, hence its common name of "Taiwan".
The PRC, in 1971, subsequently won the United Nations seat as "China" and use of the name and expelled the ROC from the UN. Since then the term "Taiwan, China" is a designation typically used in international organizations like the United Nations and its associated organs under pressure from the PRC to accommodate its claim and to give the false impression that Taiwan belongs to the PRC. (The term "Chinese Taipei
" was similarly created for the same purpose.) However, to whom Taiwan actually belongs
is a complex issue and is currently unresolved, in large part due to the United States and the Allies of World War II
handling of the surrender of Taiwan (then called "Formosa") from Japan
in 1945, which was a temporary custodianship by the ROC troops under General Order No. 1, and the Treaty of Peace with Japan ("Treaty of San Francisco") in 1951, for which neither the ROC nor the PRC was invited, and left Taiwan's sovereignty legally undefined in international law
and in dispute
.
and Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China, and without more specific indication, it is unclear to which "Taiwan Province" is being referred. Although the word "China" could also possibly be interpreted to mean "Republic of China", this interpretation is no longer common and "China" is typically understood since the ROC's loss of its UN seat in the 1970s as referring to the PRC and distinct from "Taiwan", as which the ROC became identified. Also, only the ROC's Taiwan Province exists in reality and is under the ROC's actual territorial control, whereas the PRC's "Taiwan Province" exists only on paper, on the PRC's official administrative documents and under its official government administrative structure but without an actual provincial government.
The ROC also does not refer to its Taiwan Province
as "Taiwan, China" but rather "Taiwan Province, Republic of China". However, reference to the province is now rare since the Taiwan provincial government has largely been dissolved and its functions transferred to the central government since 1997. Therefore recent uses of the term "Taiwan, China" are usually promulgated by the PRC to convey the sense that Taiwan is part of "China".
" in other organizations.) The ROC sees its use as a denial of the ROC's status as a separate sovereign state, diminishing it under "China", which implicitly is the PRC. Various instances of the use of the term by international organizations or news media have been met with protest from the Taiwanese government officials and citizens.
In the latest incident on May 10, 2011, the World Health Organization
(WHO), an agency of the UN, referred to Taiwan as "Taiwan, China" in its documents. (The ROC particpates in the WHO under the name "Chinese Taipei".) Republic of China's president Ma Ying-jeou
protested WHO's action and accused PR China of "pressuring the UN body into calling" the ROC "Chinese territory", and stated that Beijing's moves were "very negative" for bilateral ties
. Ma, who took office in 2008, has taken many measures to improve Cross-Strait relations
.
are part of the reason for the supporters of Taiwan independence
to push for an identity apart from "China" and for renaming the ROC and gaining international recognition
as Republic of Taiwan. Some supporters also reject the legitimacy of Republic of China's takeover of Taiwan from Japan at the end of World War II since 1945 (due to the lack of transfer of sovereignty in the Treaty of Peace with Japan). They view that Taiwan is no longer part of China since "China" is recognized by the UN as being the People's Republic of China, and so placing "Taiwan" and "China" together in one term is not only incorrect and an oxymoron
but also offensively demotes the ROC's national sovereign status
under China and causes unnecessary confusion with PR China.
, although almost state media use the term "Taiwan" but most government documents and many state media usually use the forms Đài Loan (Trung Quốc) ["Taiwan (China)"] or Đài Loan, Trung Quốc ("Taiwan, China") to refer to Taiwan
or Republic of China
in many contexts, including in music and entertainment coverage. In other media, they often use the term "vùng lãnh thổ" ("territory") or "hòn đảo" ("island") to refer to Taiwan when wanting to avoid repeating the term "Taiwan" many times in their article. The term "Tỉnh Đài Loan" ("Taiwan Province") sometimes appear in media to refer to all of "Taiwan Area" (not only referring to the Taiwan Province
of ROC). In general, Vietnamese state media never refer to Taiwan as a "nation" or a "state".
's ISO 3166-1
country codes because its information source, the publication UN Terminology Bulletin-Country Names, lists Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China" due to the PRC's political influence in the United Nations as a member of the UN Security Council.
Since the ISO 3166-1 code is a frequently used data source for computer programs and websites to pull a list of country names, "Taiwan, Province of China" is sometimes seen on pull-down menus instead of "Taiwan" due to this reason.
Province (China)
A province, in the context of Chinese government, is a translation of sheng formally provincial level divisions, which is an administrative division. Provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and the special administrative regions, make up the four types of province of administrative division...
or territory of "China
China (disambiguation)
China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a large country in Asia.China may also refer to:-East Asia:* Republic of China, the country commonly known as "Taiwan"...
". However, the term is problematic and potentially ambiguous because since 1949, two states with the name "China"
Two Chinas
The term Two Chinas refers to the two states with "China" in their official names: People's Republic of China , commonly known as "China", established in 1949, controlling mainland China and two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau...
exist, namely the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(ROC, founded 1911 and now known as "Taiwan") and the People's Republic of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(PRC, founded 1949 and now known as "China"). Since the ROC no longer rules most of mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and subsequently became commonly known as "Taiwan", and the PRC, which is now commonly known as "China" by the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
and which has never controlled Taiwan but claims it as part of PRC's territory, "Taiwan, China" is a term that implicitly places the ROC/"Taiwan", which is sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, under the sovereignty of PRC/"China". Its use is usually politically promulgated by the Communist
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
PRC government as a way to claim that the ROC/"Taiwan" is under its sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, since the PRC claims to be the legitimate government of "all China", which, according to its definition, includes Taiwan also. The ROC government
Government of the Republic of China
The Republic of China was formally established by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1912 in Nanjing under the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China but this government was moved to Beijing in the same year and continued as the internationally recognized government of China until 1928. In the history...
disputes the PRC position and it along with many ROC citizens
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
consider this term incorrect and offensive and its use a purposeful false identification which denies the ROC's sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, and object to its use. It is particularly offensive to those Taiwanese who believe in Taiwan Independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
and want to disassociate Taiwan with "China" and a Chinese identity, and consider it a lie and an oxymoron
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms...
. However, some Taiwanese may not necessarily oppose this term, particularly those who view themselves as "Chinese" and support eventual Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...
.
Background and ambiguity over "China"
The dispute and ambiguity over which "China" resulted from the Republic of China's loss of its mainland territoryMainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
in the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
to the Chinese Communists
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
in 1949, when the Communists established the PRC on that territory. The ROC government relocated to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
but both the ROC and the PRC still officially (constitutionally) claim both mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and Taiwan Area as part of their respective territories. In practice, the PRC rules Mainland China and has no control of but claims Taiwan as part of its territory under its "One China Principle". The ROC now only rules Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and its nearby minor islands, hence its common name of "Taiwan".
The PRC, in 1971, subsequently won the United Nations seat as "China" and use of the name and expelled the ROC from the UN. Since then the term "Taiwan, China" is a designation typically used in international organizations like the United Nations and its associated organs under pressure from the PRC to accommodate its claim and to give the false impression that Taiwan belongs to the PRC. (The term "Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
" was similarly created for the same purpose.) However, to whom Taiwan actually belongs
Political status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
is a complex issue and is currently unresolved, in large part due to the United States and the Allies of World War II
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
handling of the surrender of Taiwan (then called "Formosa") from Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in 1945, which was a temporary custodianship by the ROC troops under General Order No. 1, and the Treaty of Peace with Japan ("Treaty of San Francisco") in 1951, for which neither the ROC nor the PRC was invited, and left Taiwan's sovereignty legally undefined in international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and in dispute
Political status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
.
Ambiguity of "Taiwan Province"
The term "Taiwan, (Province of) China" is also potentially ambiguous because both the ROC and the PRC each has administratively a "Taiwan Province", Taiwan Province, Republic of ChinaTaiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
and Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China, and without more specific indication, it is unclear to which "Taiwan Province" is being referred. Although the word "China" could also possibly be interpreted to mean "Republic of China", this interpretation is no longer common and "China" is typically understood since the ROC's loss of its UN seat in the 1970s as referring to the PRC and distinct from "Taiwan", as which the ROC became identified. Also, only the ROC's Taiwan Province exists in reality and is under the ROC's actual territorial control, whereas the PRC's "Taiwan Province" exists only on paper, on the PRC's official administrative documents and under its official government administrative structure but without an actual provincial government.
The ROC also does not refer to its Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
as "Taiwan, China" but rather "Taiwan Province, Republic of China". However, reference to the province is now rare since the Taiwan provincial government has largely been dissolved and its functions transferred to the central government since 1997. Therefore recent uses of the term "Taiwan, China" are usually promulgated by the PRC to convey the sense that Taiwan is part of "China".
ROC/Taiwan government's objection
Although the Republic of China is not a member of the United Nations, the term "Taiwan, China" has sometimes been used by the U.N. to refer to the Republic of China. (The ROC is prohibited from using its official name internationally under pressure from the PRC and uses "Chinese TaipeiChinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
" in other organizations.) The ROC sees its use as a denial of the ROC's status as a separate sovereign state, diminishing it under "China", which implicitly is the PRC. Various instances of the use of the term by international organizations or news media have been met with protest from the Taiwanese government officials and citizens.
In the latest incident on May 10, 2011, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO), an agency of the UN, referred to Taiwan as "Taiwan, China" in its documents. (The ROC particpates in the WHO under the name "Chinese Taipei".) Republic of China's president Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
protested WHO's action and accused PR China of "pressuring the UN body into calling" the ROC "Chinese territory", and stated that Beijing's moves were "very negative" for bilateral ties
Cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
. Ma, who took office in 2008, has taken many measures to improve Cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
.
Taiwan independence viewpoint
The confusion and fight over use of the "China" name and the lack of name recognition of "Republic of China" itself and recognition as a countryPolitical status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
are part of the reason for the supporters of Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
to push for an identity apart from "China" and for renaming the ROC and gaining international recognition
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
as Republic of Taiwan. Some supporters also reject the legitimacy of Republic of China's takeover of Taiwan from Japan at the end of World War II since 1945 (due to the lack of transfer of sovereignty in the Treaty of Peace with Japan). They view that Taiwan is no longer part of China since "China" is recognized by the UN as being the People's Republic of China, and so placing "Taiwan" and "China" together in one term is not only incorrect and an oxymoron
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms...
but also offensively demotes the ROC's national sovereign status
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
under China and causes unnecessary confusion with PR China.
Use in Vietnam
In VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, although almost state media use the term "Taiwan" but most government documents and many state media usually use the forms Đài Loan (Trung Quốc) ["Taiwan (China)"] or Đài Loan, Trung Quốc ("Taiwan, China") to refer to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
or Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in many contexts, including in music and entertainment coverage. In other media, they often use the term "vùng lãnh thổ" ("territory") or "hòn đảo" ("island") to refer to Taiwan when wanting to avoid repeating the term "Taiwan" many times in their article. The term "Tỉnh Đài Loan" ("Taiwan Province") sometimes appear in media to refer to all of "Taiwan Area" (not only referring to the Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
of ROC). In general, Vietnamese state media never refer to Taiwan as a "nation" or a "state".
Use in the UN and other instances
The term "Taiwan, Province of China" also appears in the International Organization for StandardizationInternational Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
's ISO 3166-1
ISO 3166-1
ISO 3166-1 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , and defines codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. The official name of the standard is Codes for the representation of names...
country codes because its information source, the publication UN Terminology Bulletin-Country Names, lists Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China" due to the PRC's political influence in the United Nations as a member of the UN Security Council.
Since the ISO 3166-1 code is a frequently used data source for computer programs and websites to pull a list of country names, "Taiwan, Province of China" is sometimes seen on pull-down menus instead of "Taiwan" due to this reason.
See also
- Chinese TaipeiChinese TaipeiChinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
- Political status of TaiwanPolitical status of TaiwanThe controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
- Cross-Strait relationsCross-Strait relationsCross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
- Taiwan independenceTaiwan independenceTaiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
- Republic of Taiwan
- Index of Taiwan-related articles
- Outline of Taiwan
- OxymoronOxymoronAn oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms...