Case study on Taiwan

Hello this is Timothy steins. Today on breakfast with Timothy we will be talking about the
current conflict in Taiwan. First up we have Asia correspondent Amanda Lays:

Taiwan is an island country in East Asia. It has a population of over 23 million people, which
makes it the world’s 23rd most populated country. Taiwan was formerly a part of China but
after World War II, it became a Japanese colony. In 1945, the Chinese Civil War broke out
and China lost control over Taiwan. The United Nations then placed the island under the
administration of an international organization called ‘The United Nations Temporary
Executive Authority for Taiwan’ (UNTEA). This authority was formed to govern Taiwan
until such time when it could be declared independent by its people

• Location and parties involved in the conflict

Taiwan sits in the East Asia region of the Asia Pacific. It is a small island located between the
China mainland and the Pacific Ocean. The island is located about 1660 kilometres south of
the ‘Greater China’ region, over 6100 kilometres south-west of Sydney, Australia, and about
a 1000 kilometres south of the Japanese island of Okinawa.
Today, Taiwan is a country with a population of 23 million. It is a constitutional republic,
having a democratic system of government that consists of a President, a unicameral
Legislative Yuan, and a Constitutional Court. The current country’s Constitution was
enacted in 1996, replacing the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC).

• Causes of the conflict

Before the 16th century, Taiwan was inhabited by indigenous Taiwanese aborigines. Over
the following centuries, numerous attempts were made by the Chinese to colonize the
island, but all such attempts were unsuccessful. By the middle of the 17th century, Taiwan
was largely deserted. In 1683, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in
Taiwan, which was to remain in operation until 1694. By this time, the ‘traffic between
China and Japan’ was well established, and the Dutch had ‘no desire to compete with the
Chinese’. Over the next century, there was ‘little interest in Taiwan’ on the part of other
Western nations, though the Spanish briefly occupied the island in 1644.

• Impacts of the conflict

The history of Taiwanese conflict has been full of turbulence. After Japan’s surrender at the
end of World War II in 1945, Taiwan was returned to the Republic of China government. In
1949, the People’s Republic of China forcefully took control of Taiwan and declared it to be
the “sixth province of the People’s Republic”. As a result, two states claimed sovereignty
over Taiwan: the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China.

In the 1960s, there were sporadic protests by Chinese students and residents on the island
against the unfair economic policies of the KMT regime. However, these protests were
suppressed. However, in the late 1960s, Chinese residents and students in Taiwan began to
organize and demand more political rights. In addition, the democratic movement grew
stronger and stronger, demanding more and more freedom.

• What is the current state of your conflict? Has there been an agreement,
discussion, resolution etc.
The current state of the conflict between Taiwan and the PRC is one of ‘no peace, no war’.
There has been no formal declaration of war between Taiwan and the PRC, nor has there
been any discussion of ending hostilities between the two countries.

The Taiwanese and the Chinese people remain opposed to each other, and despite frequent
negotiations, there are no signs of a resolution to the dispute.

• Conclusion
Taiwan is a small island in the East Asia region of the Asia Pacific. It is a country with a
population of 23 million.

Taiwan has been a source for conflict for many decades. It is a small island nation in East
Asia.
Before the 16th century, Taiwan was inhabited by indigenous Taiwanese aborigines. Over
the following centuries, numerous attempts were made by the Chinese to colonize the
island, but all such attempts were unsuccessful. By the middle of the 17th century, Taiwan
was largely deserted.

In 1683, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Taiwan, which was to
remain in operation until 1694. By this time, the ‘traffic between China and Japan’ was well
established, and the Dutch had ‘no desire to compete with the Chinese’. Over the next
century, there was ‘little interest in Taiwan’ on the part of other Western nations, though
the Spanish briefly occupied the island in 1644.

The history of Taiwanese conflict has been full of turbulence. After Japan’s surrender at the
end of World War II in 1945, Taiwan was returned to the Republic of China government. In
1949, the People’s Republic of China forcefully took control of Taiwan and declared it to be
the “sixth province of the People’s Republic”. As a result, two states claimed sovereignty
over Taiwan: the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China.

In the 1960s, there were sporadic protests by Chinese students and residents on the island
against the unfair economic policies of the KMT regime. However, these protests were
suppressed. However, in the late 1960s, Chinese residents and students in Taiwan began to
organize and demand more political rights. In addition, the democratic movement grew
stronger and stronger, demanding more and more freedom.

The current state of the conflict between Taiwan and the PRC is one of ‘no peace, no war’.
There has been no formal declaration of war between Taiwan and the PRC, nor has there
been any discussion of ending hostilities between the two countries.

The Taiwanese and the Chinese people remain opposed to each other, and despite frequent
negotiations, there are no signs of a resolution to the dispute. The Taiwanese and the
Chinese people remain opposed to each other, and despite frequent negotiations, there are
no signs of a resolution to the dispute.

Now back to the studio with Timothy.