The China-Taiwan Relationship

Background History

When the remaining nationalists of Chiang Kai-shek's army fled to Taiwan during the Communist victory in 1949, there was very little chance for them to survive for more than a few years. It was thought that China's People Liberation Army would cross the Formosa Strait to conquer Taiwan.

Present

Taiwan not only survived but also prospered as well. The Chinese army did not cross over to conquer the island. Ironically, it is the managed trade, technology, and investors from Taiwan who today are crossing over into mainland China.

Conflict

Both Taiwan and China had proposed different plans to each other.

China to Taiwan:

Beijing, knowing that Taiwan is in a vastly better bargaining position than Hong Kong was in 1997, is now presently offering the "one country, two systems plan". The plan provides for Taiwan to keep its own army even after the mainland takeover, and even to keep the Nationalist flag as its symbol. China is asserting that the affair between Taiwan is an internal one -- and and that no other countries have the right to interfere. In other words, China wants American troops to leave Taiwan. The Chinese government resolutely opposed any action at creating "2 Chinas" or "Taiwan independence".

Taiwan to China:

Taiwan questions China's intentions, and wonders why they should follow the Communist system which has become a failure in their eyes.

End of 20th Century

1996: In parallel with the run up to elections in Taiwan, China launched a series of military exercises in the Taiwan Straits, from the East China to the South China Sea. Lee Teng-hui was blamed for the regional crisis in order to simply bolster his own election campaigns.

In 1999, conflict is running high again after Lee Teng-hui agitated Chinese officials by declaring that Taiwan is independent of China. China's President Jiang Zemin has ordered high level alerts within China's military, navy and air-force. As experts said, the war will not last for more than 5 days should China attack Taiwan, though China does not really want a bloody end to this conflict.