Republic of Taiwan

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For the 1895 Taiwan Republic, see Republic of Formosa

A flag for the proposed independent Taiwan designed in the mid-1990s.

The Republic of Taiwan (Traditional Chinese: 臺灣共和國; Simplified Chinese: 台湾共和国; pinyin: Táiwān Gònghégúo; Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân Kiōng-hô-kok) is a goal of supporters of Taiwan independence in creating a Taiwanese state unambiguously separated from China, covering (at most) the areas currently controlled by the Republic of China (i.e., Taiwan, Penghu, Quemoy and Matsu Islands). In this sense, sometimes the State of Taiwan (臺灣國; Táiwān Gúo; Tâi-oân Kok) is used to avoid prejudging a republican polity.

[edit] History

Historically efforts in creating such a state by this name first came into being during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. Such efforts were the goal of the Taiwanese Communist Party of the late 1920s. Unlike current formulations and in line with the thinking of Comintern, such a state would be a proletarian one.

In the 1950s a Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government was set up in Japan. Liao Wen-yih was nominally the President. At one time it held quasi-official relations with the newly independent Indonesia. This was possible mainly through the connections between Sukarno and the Provisional Government's Southeast Asian liaison, Chen Chih-hsiung, who had assisted in Indonesia's local resistance movements against the Japanese occupation.

Since then several scholars have drafted various versions of a constitution, as both political statement or vision and as intellectual exercise. Most of these drafts favor a bicameral parliamentary rather than presidential system. In at least one such draft, seats in the upper house would be divided equally among Taiwan's established ethnicities. In the 1980s the Chinese Nationalist government considered publication of these ideas criminal. In the most dramatic case, it decided to arrest the pro-independence publisher Cheng Nan-jung for publishing a version in his Tang-wai magazine, Liberty Era Weekly (自由時代週刊). Rather than giving himself up, Cheng self-immolated in protest.

Other campaigns and tactics toward such a State have included soliciting designs from the public for a new national flag (see image) and anthem (for example, Taiwan the Formosa). More recently the Taiwan Name Rectification Campaign (台灣正名運動) has played an active role. More traditional independentists, however, have criticized name rectification as merely a superficial tactic devoid of the larger vision inherent in the Republic of Taiwan agenda.

Initially, the Taiwanese Independence movement began as an attempt to overthrow the Republic of China government and replace it with a native Republic of Taiwan government. This was because the ruling party of ROC, the Kuomintang, was at first consisted essentially of mainland Chinese who fled to Taiwan at the end of the civil war in 1949. However, as economic successes overshadowed political concerns, and with the mainland Chinese gradually blending with the Taiwanese locals, the general population became more and more receptive towards the "alien" government. The impressively rapid process of democratization in the late 1980s and early 1990s by and large ended as the Taiwanese localization movement.

While democracy developed within Taiwan, abroad the situation had turned against the Republic of China government. Following its repulsion from the United Nations and severing of diplomatic relationships with the United States, Taiwan became increasingly isolated. In response to this situation, a modern movement for a Republic of Taiwan evolved from the original independence movement. The new movement claims that the current situation of Taiwan being ruled by a government officially named the Republic of China creates confusion internationally with China, and is the principal obstacle in preventing Taiwan from becoming a normal nation, in the sense of participating in international organizations such as the United Nations. Taiwan had been forced to participate in international affairs under such names as "Chinese Taipei" and the "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kimmen, and Matsu". Curiously, South Africa once referred to Taiwan as the "Republic of Taiwan" when Lee Teng-hui visited there as the President of R.O.C.^[1]; other similar slips of the tongue have occurred with respect to Taiwan.

Opponents of a Republic of Taiwan claim that rejecting the name Republic of China would almost certainly trigger a war with the People's Republic of China and it is un-necessary since Republic of China is already one independent state. Independence advocates counter this in saying that unless international support is achieved Taiwan can never be truly safe from an increasingly militant mainland China, and that foreign powers are hardly likely to pledge support if Taiwan itself does not demonstrate a resolve.

The creation of a Republic of Taiwan is formally the goal of the Taiwan Solidarity Union and former President Lee Teng-hui. Although the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was originally also an advocate for both the idea of the Republic of Taiwan and Taiwan independence, as it took power the DPP has tried taking a middle line in which a sovereign, independent Taiwan is identified with the Republic of China and its symbols. The Pan-Blue Coalition tends to oppose the idea of a Republic of Taiwan and Taiwan independence, but most support a sovereign Republic of China which is currently separate from the People's Republic of China.

While many believe the formal declaration of a Republic of Taiwan would likely trigger a military response from the People's Republic of China, some among the independentists believe such a response would be ineffective with or without subsequent involvement by the United States.