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| CHINA-TAIWAN HISTORY | |
 March 7, 2000 
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The tensions between China and Taiwan find their roots in the 1949 Chinese revolution, when communists led by Chairman Mao claimed control of the mainland. |
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Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek withdrew to Taiwan, with two million refugees, vowing the reclaim the mainland.
With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 U.S. |
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Calls for independence |
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During the 1960s some native Taiwanese, upset by the rule of the mainland minority, began to call for independence from China. It was during this time that focus shifted from reclaiming the mainland to developing the island itself. But it was also during this period that the U.S. and other countries began improving relations with China as a way to prevent Soviet expansionism. In 1971, the United Nations expelled Taipei's nationalist government in favor of Beijing's. Eight years later, the United States formally recognized the People's Republic of China, severing official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, now under the rule of Chiang's son, Chiang Ching-kuo. The U.S. move meant that America accepted Beijing's "one China" mandate and abandoned its defense pact with the island. Within months, though, the U.S. Congress reinstated unofficial economic ties with Taiwan, including the sale of arms. Democratic movements began to stir on Taiwan in 1979. A rally in the
southern city of Kaohsiung turned violent and was crushed by police.
The leaders were arrested and later defended by a little-known, but
successful, maritime commerce lawyer named Chen Shui-bian. Chen, twenty
years later, would become the first non-Nationalist party elected Taiwanese
president. |
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| Lee Teng-hui becomes president | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Taiwan dropped its martial law in 1987, only a year before the death of Chiang Ching-kuo. On Chiang's death, Vice President Lee Teng-hui became the first native islander to become president, and in 1990, the National Assembly elected him to a full six-year term. Lee tried to strengthen diplomatic relations with countries around
the world, including the U.S. In
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| The Hong Kong handover | ||||||||||||||||||||
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In 1997, as Britain prepared to return control of Hong Kong to China, Taiwan conducted live military exercises in the Straits. Experts said it was to demostrate that Taiwan would not quiretly follow the Hong Kong example. The United States began shipping fighter jets to Taiwan that year, and on the island itself the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won municipal elections. In 1999, President Lee announced that Taiwan enjoyed a "special
state-to-state relationship" with China. This statement of implied
state sovereignty angered Beijing. Taipei backed away from the position,
but talks between the two leaderships were cut off. |
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| Democratic Progressive Party | ||||||||||||||||||||
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This year, as Taiwan prepared for its next presidential election tension
over the independence issue flared Despite the veiled threats, Chen won narrowly by 310,000 votes, collecting 39.3 percent of the vote. Soong placed second after departing the Nationalist party, leaving Lien in third. For the first time in 50 years, a non-nationalist KMT party leader would take the helm in Taiwan. Some Taiwanese said they rallied behind Chen in the wake of China's threats. Others liked his pledge to defeat corruption. Since the election, Chen has softened his party's call for a sovereign "Republic of Taiwan," and said he will not declare independence unless Taiwan comes under military attack. |
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With
the influx of so many refugees, resentment grew between the millions
of native Taiwanese and the mainland newcomers. The conflict reached
such a point that Chiang imposed a "perpetual" martial law
over the island for the next 38 years. Thousands of opponents were executed
under his rule, and severe restrictions were placed on civil and political
liberties.
President
Harry S. Truman ordered the 7th Fleet into the Taiwan Strait to prevent
possible Chinese attack on the island. It was the first time the United
States had intervened in the conflict between the island and mainland.
The U.S. considered Taiwan a buffer against communist expansion in Asia
and provided the island money and military supplies.
1995,
he traveled to the United States and met with President Clinton. As
presidential elections neared in 1996, tensions in the Taiwan Straits
reached a new level when China test fired missiles in March. Many in
Taiwan said the mainland was trying to influence voting in the election
by the show of force.
The
U.S. responded by sending warships to the straits, in what would become
the largest show of naval force since the Vietnam War. President Clinton
ordered to aircraft carrier battle groups to patrol the area. The elections
went forward as planned and Lee decisively won a second term. 
again.
This time, three candidates were running: Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic
Progressive Party, independent James Soong Chu-yu and Nationalist Vice
President Lien Chan. As the three candidates appeared close in the polls,
Premier Zhu Rongji threatened "bloodshed" if the Taiwanese
voters "acted on impulse." Though he did not directly say
it, the statement was pointed at supporters of Chen, whose party calls
for independence. 
