this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2022
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[–] CriticalResist8@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 2 years ago

the governing body of Taiwan sees itself as the ROC (Republic of China). The One China policy is really older than the civil war, it's been going on as far back as thousands years ago in varying ways.

There can only be one China at any time essentially, which is indivisible and covers certain areas; and both the PRC and ROC recognize that. For a long time after the PRC was established, they actually didn't have a seat at the UN -- the UN recognized the ROC and their claim over mainland China, which they'd fled.

They were able to flee to Taiwan because the island was a province of the ROC. The KMT also committed a genocide there to establish their power and be recognized by the local residents as the authority. So even then we can see the KMT's authority wasn't as accepted as they would like us to think.

Both lay claim to what we call mainland China as well as the island of Taiwan. The ROC actually claims more land than the PRC does, actually (for example according to them all of Mongolia is their territory).

But as Yogthos pointed out this is the KMT position, but they are not in power at this time. Current governing body of Taiwan is okay with the status quo (or maybe not anymore, considering they allowed Pelosi to visit), because it kinda works for them. Most people living in Taiwan are okay with the status quo actually. Not being recognized as a country, but still being somewhat of a state.

The independence of Taiwan as its own country has never been a question because that would mean, as you said, that the ROC would stop existing and just be known as Taiwan. And thus they couldn't claim mainland China any more.

But for more context around the ROC and PRC specifically, which is what interests us in the 21st century, is that the KMT only survived because it fled to Taiwan and with US help was able to deter an invasion from the fledgling PRC who really didn't have the naval capacity to invade. If there had not been any island to flee to, the KMT would have been utterly defeated right then and there and there would not be any debate today as to Taiwan's sovereignty; there would only be the PRC.