What is Chinas claim on Taiwan that it should be part of the mainland?

Question

Ok not trying to cause trouble. But that are Chinas claims on Taiwan or why should it rejoin the mainland or be under Beijing’s rule….

From what I understand China was a briefly a republic before the Sino-Japanese war that started before WWII. This lead to the rise of the PLA and the formation of the P.R.of China. However the PLA did not fully defeat the KMT in the civil war as they retreated to Taiwan. How can a new government winning a civil war on the mainland, claim lands of an old government if that old government or force is still in control of it.

Is Chinas claim based upon that Taiwan was part of pre-republic Chinese lands and wherefore it should be part of the P.R. of China.

I only want to know what claims China has to Taiwan and not if it should be independent or not.

Answer 1

Actually, it's mainland should be part of Taiwan cos CCP is illegal government, it's not voted by us.

And in reality, many Taiwanese hope the 2 China can unite too several years later, but the condition is "CCP is overthrown"

Answer 2

Virtually there are two Chinas - People's Republic of China (PRC)-an independent nation and Republic of China (ROC also known as Taiwan) being proctected by USA.

In reality, United Nations recognizes PRC as the only China, and ROC as part of China.  So it is legitimate for PRC to claim ROC is part of China.

According to the constitution of ROC,  PRC, outer Mongolia and ROC make up of China.  Personally I think PRC should strive to get back outer Mongolia before making any claim on ROC.  Or PRC and ROC should join hands in wooing back outer Mongolia befor the former two deal with unification.

The truth is that the land and the country belong to the Chinese people

including communist Chinese.  It is the wish of every Chinese that all Chinese of all colours must live under one roof - i.e. one nation.

Answer 3

Hard question. It is a rather controversial topic, but after all, it is a matter of opinion. Let's for one second, disregard the history between the two. If we look at Taiwan as we speak, it is an "independent" nation whether one likes it or not. It has its own army and navy, its own currency, its own government governing itself, etc. Taiwan does not respond to CCP on what it should do or what it should not do, and CCP does not "control" Taiwan as it does with other autonomous regions in China. Furthermore, Taiwan does not receive money from China to build up its economy. So as a result, from all of this, Taiwan is already not part of China, and its an entity of its own.

But, however, counting the history and the people, and what's on paper or not, it is not a country on its own. It is not recognized by major nations in the world, it does not have a seat in the UN council, and it certainly does not have some of the power it should enjoy as a nation.

So it all depends on how you think Taiwan is, I personally think the question is rather useless but only promoted by the media and the government to raise the attention of the people, and used as a political tool for controlling.    

Answer 4

Because it is part of the "Chinese" lands.  It shared language, cultures and heritages.  It is like United States claim Hawaii and the Southern States.  Or think of it this way, what is the claim of the North over Southern states?  The difference is that North Won.  The South had a government, currency, army and its own political systems.  But they lost.  Taiwan and Mainland are "technically" still at civil war.  But it is an unsettled war for over 60 years.  If US didn't send its 7th fleet to stop the invasion, CCP might have recovered Taiwan as well.

Then again, claim or not, it doesn't really matter these days.  If you can take it, it is yours.  Just look at Chechnya.

Answer 5

     This is an interesting question. The best way to get your head around it is to know there are two themes in play.

     First goes back to Japanese atrocities committed against China in the 1930's and 40's. The limitations in required resources imposed upon Japan by its small size means those resources must largely come from elsewhere. Thus its attempt to secure supplies (and supply lines) through military conquest, in China, Southeast Asia, and the transport corridor along the western Pacific. American efforts to stem Japanese aggression led to an oil embargo against Japan. To forestall US implementation of the embargo Japan attempted to destroy the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. The result was WWII in the Pacific. The eventual  demilitarization of Japan following its loss of the war has left Japan without an offensive military. Fine by China.

     There are genuinely sore feelings among mainland Chinese about the 'renegade'

province we call Taiwan  -  their validity can be debated either way  -  but the effective focus of China's desire to gain control of Taiwan has more to do with a shrewd look to the future. Should Japan ever become expansionist again the Chinese want badly to prevent a recurrence of earlier tragedies it has suffered. The problem for China's attempts to do this is not caused by, yet largely depends upon its relationship with the US. Although it's fashionable to blame the US for every ill (as seen daily on this site, for example), it seeks to thwart, or at least guide, Chinese efforts in the matter, and has its reasons for doing so.

     China is becoming a world power. Foreseen years ago by anyone who cared to look, it is only natural that a large nation with lots of people and resources will eventually blossom into a superpower. The not outlandish fear of the US and its allies is that a superpower China, with  sufficient air and sea power, would be able to turn the western Pacific into a Chinese lake, able to cut off trade and supplies between Australia, Southeast Asia, India, and South Korea, as well as it could Japan. The choking off of trade and vital materials would affect the US as well. America recognizes that it will be easier to thwart the buildup of Chinese force gradually, over time, than it will be to deal with the logistical nightmare of projecting force across the entire length of the Pacific later, should war eventually come. Imagine the Russian military having to fight the entire US military  -  right off the American east coast. You get the picture.

     Complicating things further is North Korea. By allying itself with the North Koreans, China sought to achieve part of the encirclement of Japan, again to prevent Japanese expansionism. But the North Korean adventurism in nuclear weapons directly threatens Japan. Japan has now been America's friend and ally for decades, protected by the US nuclear umbrella. Seeing the potential for worldwide conflagration Japan is reconsidering both nuclear weapons and a more proactive, larger military of its own, as a way to pose a credible deterrent to North Korean craziness without having to rely upon the US. This development alarms China; including positioned nukes in Australia, China is now faced with being encircled itself by nuclear nations. The big loser in the so-called US/ North Korean standoff can only be China, and China knows this well. For this reason China has been privately supportive of American efforts to reign in its own ally, North Korea. Dealing with one overall nuclear power is simply better than dealing with many separate ones.

     This was about Taiwan, right?  Given all that's going on, look at a map of the western Pacific and tell me how Taiwan suddenly appears to you. Give up? Picture it as a giant, unsinkable aircraft carrier. The primary, or at least the effective reason China wants Control of Taiwan is because it would make a perfect forward base, an anchor for China's drive toward expansionism. Militarized, Taiwan can be a point from which the Chinese project power, and any military counterstrikes it may suffer also serve to buffer the mainland. The US, which has not officially recognized Taiwan since the days of Nixon's first overtures in the 1970's, still fully, and I mean fully, arms it to the teeth. China is not amused. Its future plans call for the development of a true blue-water navy, ala the Americans and British because for the time being it can fire missiles non-stop from the mainland, but its force of four remaining diesel submarines and almost non-existent sealift capability means it cannot land its huge army in Taiwan. It would be destroyed piecemeal by the US navy. China bides its time.        

Answer 6

I thought you have answered the question yourself.

The current situation is the result of a civil war. Just like North and South Korea (which are technically still at war).  

Americans also had a civil war which ended with the North succeeded. If not it may be like the situation of China/Taiwan.

The East/West Germans have united.  The South Koreans would like to reunite with the North (not sure if the North thinks the same as it is tightly closed).

I have asked the question before if PRC adopts democracy and allow KWT or DPP to run for goverment will Taiwanese want to reunite with China. And most of them answers NO.  

As an outsider I found it very strange. May be the Chinese is not a forgiving type?

Answer 7

Taiwan has always been a part of China since Ming Dynasty and even before. China is a piece of Land where there's always broke-offs and re-united since it's beginning. And this doesn't mean that those who have temporary control over certain areas for a period of time is legitimate to own the place. Taiwan has came under full control under Qing Dynasty again when Emperor Kang Xi won the war over the southern China including Taiwan Isle.

Yes the GMT has full control over the China but after they were defeated. They retreated to Taiwan for refuge till today. And PRC didn't continue to pursue due to whatever reason(s). (I'm not siding any party in this case cos war is war afterall...

So doesn't mean that the British can legitimately own Hongkong, Portugese - Macau, France - Shanghai, Japanese and etc.... After The Eight Powers Combined attacked China (Qing) Right? Although the Americans can still continue to keep those slaves brought to L.A. during the Eight Powers War but land is land. The Chinese don't believed in breaking up lands. So that's including, Tibet, Urgur and Mongolia.  

Answer 8

Chiang Kai-shek may hate Mao and the Communists but they agree on one thing is that Taiwan and PRC is one China. Also The Pan-Blue Coalition parties, consisting of the Kuomintang, the People's First Party, and the New Party, accept the One-China policy, but they do not equate China with the PRC; rather, they accept that the ROC and PRC will each equate itself with "One China" while agreeing that there is only "One China"

I never heard of Communist China say "Taiwan was part of pre-republic Chinese lands and wherefore it should be part of the P.R. of China." They say Taiwan is part of China. No P.R. no PRC just China. Please don't misquote the person saying this but the Western media will do that many times. For example: China's stance on Russo-Georgian conflict or the non-existent "not deemed pretty enough" or "too ugly" remarks for Yang Peiyi.

Answer 9

Because my Manchu ancestors ruled it (Qing Dynasty set it as a province until the j**s took it from us).  Now, we are part of "Big Chinese family".  We are going to re-claim it.  Also one day, we will re-claim Mongolia, Eastern Siberia and Northern Vietnam too.