OK, gotcha, understand your semantics now. At the time, Generalismo Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the ROC and “Free China” was not willing to make the play that Taiwan was an independent country. Nor, for that matter, neither was his son or successor Chiang CHing-Kuo, who led Taiwan until 1988 (or 89?). It was after Chiang Ching-kuo passed away that Taiwan as a whole ended the fantasy of retaking the Mainland, decided to work on Taiwan environmental issues, invest in the Taiwan infrastructure, etc.
As I wrote upthread, no one on either side of the Taiwan straights believes in the fantasy of Taiwan retaking China, even if it is still a legacy “official” policy.
I don’t think the OP is really asking for the whole history of the matter, but just asking about the current day. And the current day situation is = Taiwan is de facto a nation, China doesn’t exert any direct control over Taiwan’s internal affairs, such as requiring Taiwan to pay taxes, or imposing its currency or flag, anthem, on Taiwan. (Although China certainly wants that to change.)
There’s a parallel to pre-1989 Germany here. Ever since its foundation in 1949, West Germany laid claim to being the only representative government of all of Germany, regarded East Germans as its citizen who were prevented from exercising their rights, and had a mandate to strive for reunification in its constitution. From the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 (at the latest) onwards, this was increasingly seen as a formality in West Germany, with reunification regarded as a distant and unrealistic event, but the formal policy remained on the books. It wasn’t until the riots in 1989 in East Germany that it started to be seen as feasible again, and then things were happening very fast.
You’re correct about that, but as is the case with so many Dope threads, the history and technical details that go somewhat beyond my original question have proven interesting and informative.
Do you feel there was another option? Do you feel the Republic of China could have remained a member of the United Nations after U.N. Resolution 2758 and that both the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China could be in the UN at the same time?
There was a seat labelled “China” and only one country could occupy it, the one that was recognized by the UN as controlling/being the government of (most of) that territory. The same pride (or “face”) that prevents PRC from accepting reality today prevented the Nationalists from accepting reality since the 1950’s. The generation that brought the Nationalist control to Taiwan has died off and it is mostly locals now, but the damage has been done.
As to the OP’s question - the thing is Taiwan claimed at one time to be China. Today, declaring that they are not China proper and are in fact an independent country will be seen by PRC as a deliberate provocation. Things are sensitive enough politically (militarily) between the two that good sense seems to tell Taiwan not to take that step. Also, whether they do or not, PRC will obviously put tremendous pressure on other countries to not recognize Taiwan as a separate government, and most countries appear to give lip service - so little will be gained by an essentially symbolic act. They won’t get full entry into the UN. So to address the OP - China has no actual control on Taiwan, but by the risk of repercussions limits what Taiwan does. It remains a stalemate.
More nit picks. The Republic of China government, located in Taiwan after losing the Mainland, claimed to be China.
Taiwan never claimed to be China. In fact, today is the anniversary of 2-28 or Feb 28, 1947. Accounts vary but it is beyond dispute that the KMT massacred local Taiwanese intelligensa en masse. This movie, A City of Sadness, was part of a whole national reconciliation movement about the atrocities, that eventually led to 2-28 becoming a national day of rememberance.
My Taiwanese “mother” remembers seeing her elementary school teachers lined up and shot in front of them.
The “Taiwanese” fully remember the last time the mainland invaded in the aftermath of WW2, and certainly don’t welcome a repeat.
The analogy’s fine, it’s just backwards. Picture if the Confederacy had seceded and then won the war in such a spectacular fashion that it successfully invaded most of the Union territory, with the Union government retreating to, say, Maine, after which hostilities effectively cease. The government in Maine could claim with some justification to still represent The United States of America. Then the Confederacy starts making sound about how Maine should be theirs, implying Maine broke away from them.
Internationally, most countries play along since the CSA is economically and militarily powerful.
Back in the real world, I don’t personally recognize any claims over Taiwan made by the People’s Republic of China, itself having been in existence only since 1949.