Taiwan Old History – a2z Countries

Taiwan is not an independent nation in Eastern Asia. With the capital city of Taipei, Taiwan 2020 population is estimated at 23,816,786 according to countryaah. Archaeological finds show that humans may have inhabited Taiwan for up to 15,000 years. In Chinese historical sources, Taiwan appears only sporadically until the 13th century AD. Among other things, there is a note about a military expedition that the Chinese kingdom Wu sent to the island in the 230s AD. This is stated as the earliest attempt to colonize Taiwan. Chinese immigration began on a small scale in the 1300s, but was most extensive during the 18th and 19th centuries. The indigenous peoples were forced into the mountain areas.

AbbreviationFinder.org: Comprehensive guide to and popular abbreviations of Taiwan, covering history, economy, and social conditions.

During the 1400s and 1500s, Taiwan was a hangout for Japanese and Chinese pirates operating throughout East and Southeast Asia. For Taiwan political system, please check carswers.

In the 16th century, a Portuguese armada passed, which upon its return made the island famous in Europe under the name Ilha Formosa – “the beautiful island”.

Dutch and Spanish traders later visited the island, claiming their part during the first half of the 17th century. The Dutch soon took over the Spanish, but in turn were expelled in 1661 when mainland Chinese loyal to the recently overthrown Ming dynasty established themselves in Taiwan. With the Ming followers, the mass colonization got its start. It also continued since the Qing Dynasty, which seized power on the mainland, also occupied Taiwan in 1683.

Subsequently, the island was a Chinese outpost for 200 years. At the end of the Japanese-Chinese War in 1895, China was forced to leave Taiwan for Japan. The Taiwanese did not accept this but proclaimed their own republic on the island, but this was quickly crushed by the Japanese. In 1902, a strong Japanese administration was established, and Taiwan became an important Japanese naval base and a thriving trading center.

2015

December

The US sells weapons to Taiwan

The US decides to sell weapons to Taiwan, including two warships and advanced weapons systems, for the equivalent of $ 1.8 billion. Beijing strongly criticizes the decision. Arms sales are the first of a larger scale in four years.

November

Historical Presidential Meeting

The historic meeting takes place in Singapore. President Xi said at the meeting that the principle of China is the basis of relations between China and Taiwan and that Beijing is opposed to independence for Taiwan. President Ma, in turn, has emphasized that the 1992 agreement, the so-called “1992 consensus” (see Foreign Policy and Defense), consists of two parts, that the parties agree that there is only one China, but that there are different interpretations of what this means.

Presidential meeting planned

The Beijing-Taipei Relations Office on both sides of the Taiwan Strait announces at the beginning of the month that a meeting will be held between President Ma and Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 7. The meeting is a great success for Ma, who has long sought such a meeting. It could signal to Taiwanese voters, where a majority in the opinion polls are currently voting for the opposition, that after all, KMT and its presidential candidate are the most reliable when it comes to maintaining good relations with Beijing and ensuring lucrative investment and trade can be maintained on the mainland. At the same time, however, the meeting may also strike back at KMT, as it may further dilute young Taiwanese concerns that Taiwan’s independence is threatened if KMT retains power. Current policy). Because of the sensitive situation, it has therefore been decided that the meeting should not lead to any agreements but only be a dialogue about how peaceful relations can continue to develop.

October

Eric Chu becomes presidential candidate

KMT chooses to appoint KMT chairman Eric Chu, Mayor of New Taipei, as the party’s candidate in the presidential election in January 2016. The party thus dumps Hung Hsiu-Chu, which is motivated by her failure to narrow the wide gap in opinion polls between her and the DPP candidates Tsai Ing-wen. Eric Chu states that he intends to work for a parliamentary system to be introduced in Taiwan in the long run. He also calls on Tsai Ing-wen to clarify his views on relations with Beijing, where she said she wanted to maintain the status quo, but did not clarify whether the relations should be based on the so-called “1992 consensus”. This principle has been important for the Beijing-KMT approach in recent years and means that the parties have quietly agreed that there is only one China, but that the authorities on each side of the Taiwan Strait can interpret what this means. However, the DPP has never acknowledged this agreement.

August

PFP’s James Soong becomes presidential candidate

August 6th

Party People First (PFP) leader James Soong announces that he will run in the upcoming presidential election. This is the third time that 73-year-old James Soong is a presidential candidate.

July

James Soong is going to run for office

James Soong, chairman of the People’s Party first (PFP), announces that he will run for office in the presidential election. The 73-year-old Soong ran for president for the first time in 2000.

Students occupy ministries

At least 200 students storm the Department of Education in Taipei in protest of the decision to change wordings in school books. The protesters consider the changes to be China-friendly. The protest campaign is one of a series of student protests against closer relations with China in recent years. The students then occupy the premises and demand that the changes in the teaching materials not be implemented.

Two female presidential candidates

The Nationalist Party KMT nominates Hung Hsiu-Chu as its candidate in the presidential election scheduled for January 2016. Thus, two women are favorites for the presidential post, as the DPP is running for female candidate Tsai Ing-Wen. Chinese Democratic activist Wuer Kaixi, known for his role during the demonstrations at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989, is running for parliamentary elections to be held at the same time as the presidential election.

April

Kuomintang meets Xi Jinping

Eric Chu, chairman of Kuomintang, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks in Beijing. It’s been six years since Beijing and Taipei held talks at such a high level.