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Kuomintang



 
 
The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) (Hanyu Pinyin: Guσmνndang, GMD), also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is the founding and the ruling political party
Ruling party

The ruling party in a parliamentary system is the political party or coalition of the majority in parliament. Within a parliamentary system, the majority in the legislature also controls the Executive branch of government, thus leaving no possibility of dueling parties concurrently occupying the executive and legislative branches of governm...
 of the Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
 (ROC). The headquarters of KMT is located in Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
, and KMT is currently the majority party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China , which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People....
, and the oldest political party in the Republic of China. The KMT is a member of the International Democrat Union
International Democrat Union

The International Democrat Union is a center-right :Category:Political internationals of Conservatism, Christian democracy and Liberal conservatism political party....
. Current president
President of the Republic of China

The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded in 1911 governing the whole of China....
 Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
 is the seventh KMT member to hold the office of the presidency.

Together with the People First Party and Chinese New Party
New Party (Republic of China)

The New Party , formerly the Chinese New Party , is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China .The Chinese New Party was formed out of a split from the then-ruling Kuomintang by members of the New Kuomintang Alliance in August 1993....
, the KMT forms what is known as the Taiwanese Pan-Blue coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition

The Pan-Blue Coalition or Pan-Blue Force, is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party ....
, which supports eventual reunification with the mainland
Chinese reunification

Chinese reunification is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity....
.






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The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) (Hanyu Pinyin: Guσmνndang, GMD), also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is the founding and the ruling political party
Ruling party

The ruling party in a parliamentary system is the political party or coalition of the majority in parliament. Within a parliamentary system, the majority in the legislature also controls the Executive branch of government, thus leaving no possibility of dueling parties concurrently occupying the executive and legislative branches of governm...
 of the Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
 (ROC). The headquarters of KMT is located in Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
, and KMT is currently the majority party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China , which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People....
, and the oldest political party in the Republic of China. The KMT is a member of the International Democrat Union
International Democrat Union

The International Democrat Union is a center-right :Category:Political internationals of Conservatism, Christian democracy and Liberal conservatism political party....
. Current president
President of the Republic of China

The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded in 1911 governing the whole of China....
 Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
 is the seventh KMT member to hold the office of the presidency.

Together with the People First Party and Chinese New Party
New Party (Republic of China)

The New Party , formerly the Chinese New Party , is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China .The Chinese New Party was formed out of a split from the then-ruling Kuomintang by members of the New Kuomintang Alliance in August 1993....
, the KMT forms what is known as the Taiwanese Pan-Blue coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition

The Pan-Blue Coalition or Pan-Blue Force, is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party ....
, which supports eventual reunification with the mainland
Chinese reunification

Chinese reunification is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity....
. However, the KMT has been forced to moderate their stance by advocating political
Political status of Taiwan

The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including Penghu, should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become Chinese reunification with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare independence and become the Republic of Taiwa...
 and legal status quo
Status Quo

Status Quo, also known as The Quo or just Quo, are an England rock music band whose music is characterized by the twelve-bar blues....
 of modern Taiwan. The KMT accepts a One China Principle
One-China policy

The One-China policy is a principle that there is one China and that mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all part of that China. The acceptance or rejection of this principle is a major factor in cross-strait relations between the People's Republic of China controlling mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau and the Republic of Chin...
 and defines "One China" to mean the Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
 and not the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
.

The KMT was founded by Song Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren

Song Jiaoren was a China republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang ....
 and Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen , also known as Sun Yixian, Sun Wen, Sun Itchisen/Sun Itchiyama and Sun Zhongshan , was a China revolutionary and Politician leader often referred to as the Father of the Nation....
 shortly after the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution

The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution , also known as the 1911 Revolution or the Chinese Revolution, began with the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911 and ended with the abdication of Emperor Puyi on February 12, 1912....
. Later led by Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek , Order of the Bath , served as Generalissimo of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. He was sometimes referred to simply as "the Generalissimo"....
, it ruled much of China from 1928 until its retreat to Taiwan in 1949 after defeat by the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and the ruling party of the People's Republic of China and the world's largest political party....
 (CPC) during the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War or , which lasted from April 1927 to May 1950, was a civil war in China between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party ....
. There, the KMT controlled the government under a single party state until reforms in the late 1970s through the 1990s loosened its grip on power. The ROC was once referred to synonymously with the KMT and known simply as "Nationalist China" after its ruling party
Ruling party

The ruling party in a parliamentary system is the political party or coalition of the majority in parliament. Within a parliamentary system, the majority in the legislature also controls the Executive branch of government, thus leaving no possibility of dueling parties concurrently occupying the executive and legislative branches of governm...
.

Support

Naval Jack of the Republic of China
Support for the Kuomintang in the Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
 encompasses a wide range of groups. Kuomintang support tends to be higher in northern Taiwan and in urban areas, where it draws its backing from small to medium and self-employed business owners, who make up the majority of commercial interests in Taiwan. Big businesses are also likely to support the KMT because of its policy of maintaining commercial links with mainland China. The KMT also has strong support in the labor sector because of the many labor benefits and insurance implemented while the KMT was in power. The KMT traditionally has strong cooperation with labor unions, teachers, and government workers. Among the ethnic groups in Taiwan, the KMT has solid support among mainlander
Mainlander

Mainlanders are people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of Greater China, referring to Zhonghua Minzu who live, were born, or have their "native province" in mainland China as opposed to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan....
s and their descendants for ideological reasons and among Taiwanese aboriginals.

Opponents of the KMT include strong supporters of Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence

Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan out of the lands currently governed by the Republic of China and claimed by the People's Republic of China....
, and rural residents particularly in southern Taiwan, though supporters of unification include Hoklo
Hoklo people

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 and supporters of independence include mainlanders. There is opposition due to an image of KMT both as a mainlanders' and a Chinese nationalist party out of touch with local values.

History


Early years, Sun Yat-sen era

The Kuomintang was founded in Guangdong
Guangdong

Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....
 Province on August 25, 1912 from a collection of several revolutionary groups that had successfully overthrown the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
 in the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution

The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution , also known as the 1911 Revolution or the Chinese Revolution, began with the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911 and ended with the abdication of Emperor Puyi on February 12, 1912....
, including the Revolutionary Alliance, as a moderate democratic socialist party. Thus, the party traces its roots to the Revive China Society
Revive China Society

The Xingzhonghui , translated as the Revive China Society or the Society for Regenerating China, was founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen on 24 November 1894 to forward the goal of establishing prosperity for China and as a platform for future Xinhai Revolution activities....
, which was founded in 1895 and merged with several other anti-monarchist societies
Anti-Qing sentiment

Anti-Qing sentiment is a sentiment principally held in China against the Manchu ruling during Qing Dynasty, which was often resented for being foreign and Barbarian....
 as the Revolutionary Alliance in 1905.
Sunys
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen , also known as Sun Yixian, Sun Wen, Sun Itchisen/Sun Itchiyama and Sun Zhongshan , was a China revolutionary and Politician leader often referred to as the Father of the Nation....
, who had just stepped down as provisional president of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China

The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded in 1911 governing the whole of China....
, was chosen as its overall leader under the title of premier
Premier

A premier is a title for the head of government in some countries.In many nations, the title "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister": for example, the "Italy Premier" is the same person as the "Italian President of the Council of Ministers"....
 , and Huang Xing
Huang Xing

Huang Xing or Huang Hsing , Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China....
 was chosen as Sun's deputy. However, the most influential member of the party was the third ranking Song Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren

Song Jiaoren was a China republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang ....
, who mobilized mass support from gentry and merchants for the KMT in winning the 1912 National Assembly election, on a platform of promoting constitutional parliamentary democracy. Though the party had an overwhelming majority in the first National Assembly
National Assembly of the Republic of China

The National Assembly of the Republic of China refers to several parliamentary bodies that existed in the history of the Republic of China. The National Assembly was originally founded in 1913 as the first legislature in Chinese history, but was disbanded less than a year later as President Yuan Shikai assumed dictatorial power....
, President
President of the Republic of China

The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded in 1911 governing the whole of China....
 Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai

Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese people general and politician famous for his influence during the Qing Dynasty#Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the Pu Yi of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China, and his short-lived attem...
 started ignoring the parliamentary body in making presidential decisions, counter to the Constitution, and assassinated its parliamentary leader Song Jiaoren in Shanghai
Shanghai

Shanghai is the List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population in China and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population in the world, with over 20 million people....
 in 1913. Members of the KMT led by Sun Yat-sen staged the Second Revolution
History of the Republic of China

The history of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China ended over two thousand years of Imperial rule....
 in July 1913, a poorly planned and ill-supported armed rising to overthrow Yuan, and failed. Yuan dissolved the KMT in November (whose members had largely fled into exile in Japan) and dismissed the parliament early in 1914. Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai

Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese people general and politician famous for his influence during the Qing Dynasty#Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the Pu Yi of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China, and his short-lived attem...
 proclaimed himself emperor in December 1915.
Chiang Kai Shek
While exiled in Japan in 1914, Sun established the Chinese Revolutionary Party
Chinese Revolutionary Party

The Chinese Revolutionary Party was the short lived renaming of the Kuomintang between 1914 and 1919.After the failed Second Revolution against Yuan Shikai and the subsequent outlawing of the Kuomintang in the Republic of China in 1913, Sun Yat-sen reorganised the party under the new name with stricter discipline and membership requirement...
, but many of his old revolutionary comrades, including Huang Xing
Huang Xing

Huang Xing or Huang Hsing , Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China....
, Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei

Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming , was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but he was staunchly anti-Communist, and his politics veered sharply to the right later in his career....
, Hu Hanmin
Hu Hanmin

Hu Hanmin was one of the early leaders of Kuomintang , and a very important Right-wing politics in Kuomintang....
 and Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming

Chen Jiongming was a revolutionary figure in the early periods of the Republic of China. Chen Jiongming was born in 1878, in Haifeng, Guangdong, China....
, refused to join him or support his efforts in inciting armed uprising against Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai

Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese people general and politician famous for his influence during the Qing Dynasty#Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the Pu Yi of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China, and his short-lived attem...
. In order to join the Chinese Revolutionary Party, members must take an oath of personal loyalty to Sun, which many old revolutionaries regarded as undemocratic and contrary to the spirit of the revolution. Thus, many old revolutionaries did not join Sun's new organisation, and he was largely sidelined within the Republican movement during this period. Sun returned to China in 1917 to establish a rival government at Guangzhou
Guangzhou

'Guangzhou' is the Capital and a sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province of China in the northern and southern China part of the People's Republic of China....
, but was soon forced out of office and exiled to Shanghai. There, with renewed support, he resurrected the KMT on October 10, 1919, but under the name of the Chinese Kuomintang, as the old party had simply been called the Kuomintang. In 1920, Sun and the KMT were restored in Guangdong. In 1923, the KMT and its government accepted aid from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
 after being denied recognition by the western powers. Soviet advisers – the most prominent of whom was Mikhail Borodin
Mikhail Borodin

Mikhail Markovich Borodin was the alias of Mikhail Gruzenberg, a Comintern agent.Borodin was born in Yanovich, located in modern Belarus....
, an agent of the Comintern
Comintern

The 'Comintern' was an international Communism organization founded in Moscow in March 1919. The International intended to fight "by all available means, including armed force, for the overthrow of the international bourgeoisie and for the creation of an international Soviet republic as a transition stage to the complete abolition of the Sta...
 – began to arrive in China in 1923 to aid in the reorganization and consolidation of the KMT along the lines of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest Communist Party in the world....
, establishing a Leninist
Leninism

Leninism refers to various related Political science and economics theories elaborated by the Bolshevik Communism leader Vladimir Lenin. Leninism builds upon and elaborates the ideas of Marxism, and serves as a philosophical basis for the ideology of Soviet communism....
 party structure that lasted into the 1990s. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was under Comintern instructions to cooperate with the KMT, and its members were encouraged to join while maintaining their separate party identities, forming the First United Front between the two parties.

Soviet advisers also helped the Nationalists set up a political institute to train propagandists in mass mobilization techniques, and in 1923 Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek , Order of the Bath , served as Generalissimo of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. He was sometimes referred to simply as "the Generalissimo"....
, one of Sun's lieutenants from the Tongmenghui
Tongmenghui

The Tongmenghui , also known as the Chinese United League or the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, was a secret society and underground resistance resistance movement organized by Sun Yat-sen and Song Jiaoren in Tokyo, Japan, on 20 August 1905....
 days, was sent to Moscow for several months' military and political study. At the first party congress in 1924, which included non-KMT delegates such as members of the CCP, they adopted Sun's political theory, which included the Three Principles of the People
Three Principles of the People

The Three Principles of the People, also translated as Three People's Principles, or collectively San-min Doctrine, is a political philosophy developed by Sun Yat-sen as part of a philosophy to make China a free, prosperous, and powerful nation....
 - nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood.

Chiang Kai-shek assumes leadership

Kmtarmy
When Sun Yat-sen died in 1925, the political leadership of the Nationalist Party fell to Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei

Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming , was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but he was staunchly anti-Communist, and his politics veered sharply to the right later in his career....
 and Hu Hanmin
Hu Hanmin

Hu Hanmin was one of the early leaders of Kuomintang , and a very important Right-wing politics in Kuomintang....
, respectively the left wing and right wing leaders of the Kuomintang. The real power, however, lay with Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek , Order of the Bath , served as Generalissimo of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. He was sometimes referred to simply as "the Generalissimo"....
 who, as superintendent of the Whampoa Military Academy
Whampoa Military Academy

The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy , was a military academy in the Republic of China that produced many prestigious commanders who fought in many of China's conflicts in the 20th century, notably the Northern Expedition , the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civ...
, was in near complete control of the military. With this military power, the Kuomintang confirmed their power in Guangzhou
Guangzhou

'Guangzhou' is the Capital and a sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province of China in the northern and southern China part of the People's Republic of China....
 and Guangdong
Guangdong

Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....
 (the province containing Guangzhou) and Guangxi
Guangxi

This article is about a region of China. For the sociological concept, see Guanxi.Guangxi is a Zhuang people autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China....
 (the province north of Guangdong). The Nationalists now had a rival government in direct opposition to the warlord government based in the northern city of Beijing
Beijing

is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
. Unlike Sun Yat-sen, whom he admired greatly, Chiang Kai-shek, who assumed leadership of the Kuomintang in 1926, had little contact or knowledge of the West. Sun Yat-sen had forged all his political, economic, and revolutionary ideas primarily from Western materials that he had learned in Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
 and later in Europe. Chiang Kai-shek, however, knew almost nothing about the West; he was firmly rooted in his Chinese identity and the Chinese culture he was steeped. As his life progressed, he became more militantly attached to Chinese culture and traditions. His few trips to the West confirmed his pro-Chinese outlook and he studied the Chinese classics and Chinese histories assiduously. Of the three Principles of the People
Three Principles of the People

The Three Principles of the People, also translated as Three People's Principles, or collectively San-min Doctrine, is a political philosophy developed by Sun Yat-sen as part of a philosophy to make China a free, prosperous, and powerful nation....
 of Sun Yat-sen, then, the principle he most ardently and passionately adhered to was the principle of nationalism
Nationalism

Nationalism refers to an ideology, a feeling, a form of culture, or a social movement that focuses on the nation. While there is significant debate over the historical origins of nations, nearly all Expert accept that nationalism, at least as an ideology and social movement, is a Modernity phenomenon originating in Europe....
. Chiang was also particularly committed to Sun's idea of "political tutelage"; using this ideology, Chiang built himself into the dictator
Dictator

A dictator is an authoritarian ruler who assumes sole and absolute power without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship....
 of the Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
, both in the Chinese Mainland, and when the national government was relocated to Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
. Following the death of Sun Yat-sen, General Chiang Kai-shek emerged as the KMT leader and launched the Northern Expedition to defeat the northern warlords and unite China under the party. With their power confirmed in the southeast, the Nationalist government appointed Chiang Kai-shek commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army

The National Revolutionary Army was the National Army of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the National Army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of Single-party state beginning in 1928....
, and the Northern Expedition
Northern Expedition

The Northern Expedition was a military campaign led by the Kuomintang from 1926 to 1928. Its main objective was to speed up the China revolution against feudalism and imperialism plaguing China after the Xinhai Revolution and unify China under the Nationalist banner by ending the rule of local warlords....
 to suppress the warlords began. Chiang had to defeat three separate warlords and two independent armies. Chiang, with Soviet supplies, used blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg

Blitzkrieg is "a headline word applied retrospectively to describe a military doctrine of an all-mechanized force concentration its attack on a small section of the enemy front then, once the latter is pierced, proceeding without regard to its flank." As British military historian Sir John Keegan has noted, it was an idea which owed its cre...
 tactics and, in nine months, he had conquered the southern half of China. A split, however, erupted between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party; this split threatened the Northern Expedition. Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953....
, the leader of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
, however, healed the split by ordering the Chinese Communists to obey the Kuomintang leadership in everything. Once this split had been healed, Chiang Kai-shek resumed his Northern Expedition and, with the help of Communist strikes, managed to take Shanghai
Shanghai

Shanghai is the List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population in China and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population in the world, with over 20 million people....
. There he began to eliminate the Communists in what is today known as the Shanghai massacre of 1927 and the Nationalist government, which had moved to Wuhan
Wuhan

is the capital of Hubei province, and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. It lies at the east of Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Han River ....
, dismissed him. Unfazed, Chiang set up his own alternative government in Nanjing
Nanjing

is the capital city of China's Jiangsu province of China, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and Chinese culture. Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Historical capitals of China....
. When the Wuhan government collapsed in February 1928, Chiang Kai-shek was the only Nationalist government still standing.

When Kuomintang forces took Beijing, as the city was the de jure
De jure

De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".The terms de jure and de facto are used instead of "in principle" and "in practice", respectively, when one is describing politics or legal situations....
 internationally recognized capital, though previously controlled by the feuding warlords, this event allowed the Kuomintang to receive widespread diplomatic recognition in the same year. The capital was moved from Beijing to Nanjing, the original capital of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling Dynasties in Chinese history of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty....
, and thus a symbolic purge of the final Qing elements. This period of KMT rule in China between 1927 and 1937 became known as the Nanjing decade
Nanjing decade

The Nanjing decade was the decade from 1927 to 1937 in the history of the Republic of China. It began when Kuomintang Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek took the city from Zhili clique warlord era Sun Chuanfang halfway through the Northern Expedition in 1927....
.

Finance minister of China and Kuomintang official H.H. Kung and two other Chinese Kuomintang
Kuomintang

The Kuomintang of China , also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is the founding and the ruling party of the Republic of China ....
 officials visited Germany in 1937 and were received by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born Germany politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party....
.

In sum, the KMT began as a heterogeneous group advocating American-inspired federalism and provincial independence. However, after its reorganization along Soviet lines, the party aimed to establish a centralized one party state with one ideology - Three Principles of the People
Three Principles of the People

The Three Principles of the People, also translated as Three People's Principles, or collectively San-min Doctrine, is a political philosophy developed by Sun Yat-sen as part of a philosophy to make China a free, prosperous, and powerful nation....
. This was even more evident following Sun's elevation into a cult figure after his death. The control by one single party began the period of "political tutelage," whereby the party was to control the government while instructing the people on how to participate in a democratic system. After several military campaigns and with the help of German military advisors (German planned fifth "extermination campaign"), the Communists were forced to withdraw from their bases in southern and central China into the mountains in a massive military retreat known famously as the Long March, an undertaking which would eventually increase their reputation among the peasants. Out of the 86,000 Communist soldiers that broke out of the pocket, only 20,000 would make the 10,000 km march to Shaanxi province. The Kuomintang continued to attack the Communists. This was in line with Chiang's policy of solving internal conflicts (warlords and communists) before fighting external invasions (Japan). However, Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang

Zhang Xueliang or Chang Hs?eh-liang , nicknamed the "Young Marshal" , became the effective ruler of Manchuria and much of North China after the assassination of his father Zhang Zuolin by the Japanese on 4 June 1928....
, who believed that the Japanese invasion constituted the greater prevailing threat, took Chiang hostage during the Xi'an Incident
Xi'an Incident

The Xi'an Incident of December 1936 is an important episode of History of China, taking place in the city of Xi'an during the Chinese Civil War between the ruling Kuomintang and the rebel Chinese Communist Party and just before the Second Sino-Japanese War....
 in 1937 and forced Chiang to agree to an alliance with the Communists in the total war against the Japanese. The Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War was the largest Asian war in the twentieth century. From 1937 to 1941, it was fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan....
 had officially started, and would last until the Japanese surrender in 1945. However in many situations the alliance was in name only; after a brief period of cooperation, the armies began to fight the Japanese separately, rather than as coordinated allies. Conflicts between KMT and communists were still common during the war, and documented claims of Communist attacks upon the KMT forces, and vice versa, abound.

In these incidents, it should be noted that The KMT armies typically utilized more traditional tactics while the Communists chose guerilla tactics, leading to KMT claims that the Communists often refused to support the KMT troops, choosing to withdraw and let the KMT troops take the brunt of Japanese attacks. These same guerilla tactics, honed against the Japanese forces, were used to great success later during open civil war, as well as the Allied forces in the Korean War and the U.S. forces in the Vietnam War.

Full-scale civil war between the Communists and KMT resumed after the defeat of Japan. The Communist armies, previously a minor faction, grew rapidly in influence and power due to several errors on the KMT's part: first, the KMT reduced troop levels precipitously after the Japanese surrender, leaving large numbers of able-bodied, trained fighting men who became unemployed and disgruntled with the KMT as prime recruits for the Communists. Second, the KMT government proved thoroughly unable to manage the economy, allowing hyperinflation to result. Among the most despised and ineffective efforts it undertook to contain inflation was the conversion to the gold standard for the national treasury and the Gold Standard Script in August 1948, outlawing private ownership of gold, silver, and foreign exchange, collecting all such precious metals and foreign exchange from the people and issuing the Gold Standard Script in exchange. The new script became worthless in only ten months and greatly reinforced the nationwide perception of KMT as a corrupt or at best inept entity. Third, Chiang Kai-shek ordered his forces to defend the urbanized cities. This decision gave the Communists a chance to move freely through the countryside. At first, the KMT had the edge with the aid of weapons and ammunition from the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. However, with the country suffering from hyperinflation
Hyperinflation

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00104, Inflation, Tapezieren mit Geldscheinen.jpgIn economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or "out of control", a condition in which prices increase rapidly as a currency loses its value....
, widespread corruption and other economic ills, the KMT continued to lose popular support. At the same time, the suspension of American aid and tens of thousands of deserted or decommissioned soldiers being recruited to the Communist cause tipped the balance of power quickly to the Communist side, and the overwhelming popular support for the Communists in most of the country made it all but impossible for the KMT forces to carry out successful assaults against the Communists. By the end of 1949, the Communists controlled almost all of mainland China
Mainland China

Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China , excluding Hong Kong and Macau, which run on One Country, Two Systems....
, as the KMT retreated to Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
 with a significant amount of China's national treasures and 2 million people, including military forces and refugees. Some party members stayed in the mainland and broke away from the main KMT to found the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang
Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang

The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang is one of eight registered minor political party in the People's Republic of China.It was founded in 1948 by leftists who broke with the main Kuomintang during the Chinese Civil War....
, which still currently exists as one of the eight minor registered parties
List of political parties in the People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China is formally a multi-party state under the leadership of the Communist Party of China in the popular front model similar to the former Communist-era Eastern European countries such as the National Front ....
 in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
.

KMT in Taiwan

Kmt Headquarters, Taipei
In 1895, Taiwan, including the Penghu islands, became a Japanese colony, a concession by the Qing Empire
Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
 after it lost the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War

The First Sino-Japanese War was a war fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji period Imperial Japan over the control of Korea. The Sino-Japanese War would come to symbolize the degeneration and enfeeblement of the Qing Dynasty and demonstrate how successful modernization had been in Japan since the Meiji Restoration as compared with the...
. After Japan's defeat at the end of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 in 1945, General Order No. 1 instructed Japan, who surrendered to the US, to surrender its troops in Taiwan to the forces of the Republic of China Kuomintang.

Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was proposed to the United States Congress by president Franklin Delano Roosevelt on June 9, 1943 to provide relief to areas liberated from Axis powers of World War II after World War II....
 (UNRRA), and the ROC put Taiwan under military occupation. Tensions between the local Taiwanese and mainlander
Mainlander

Mainlanders are people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of Greater China, referring to Zhonghua Minzu who live, were born, or have their "native province" in mainland China as opposed to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan....
s from mainland China
Mainland China

Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China , excluding Hong Kong and Macau, which run on One Country, Two Systems....
 increased in the intervening years culminating in a flashpoint on February 27, 1947 in Taipei
Taipei

Taipei has been the de facto capital of the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and the capital of Taiwan since Japanese rule that began in 1895....
 when a dispute between a female cigarette vendor and an anti-smuggling officer triggered civil disorder and protests that would last for days. The uprising turned bloody and was shortly put down by the ROC Army
Military of the Republic of China

The Republic of China maintains a large and technologically advanced armed forces establishment, which accounted for 16.8% of the central budget in the fiscal year of 2003....
 in the 228 Incident
228 Incident

The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on 1947-02-27 and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government....
. As a result of the 228 Incident
228 Incident

The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on 1947-02-27 and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government....
 in 1947, Taiwanese people endured what is called the "White Terror
White Terror

In general, the term White Terror refers to acts of violence carried out by reactionary groups as part of a counterrevolutionary. In particular, during the 20th century, in several countries the term White Terror was applied to acts of violence against real or suspected socialism and communism....
", a KMT-led political repression.

Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
 (PRC) on October 1, 1949, the commanders of the PRC People's Liberation Army believed that Kinmen
Kinmen

Kinmen , located at , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China government: Greater Kinmen , Lesser Kinmen , and some islets....
 and Matsu
Matsu

Matsu may refer to:* Matsu Islands, islands of the Republic of China* Matsu , a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion* Matsu, a book by Osamu Dazai...
 had to be taken before a final assault on Taiwan. KMT fought the Battle of Kuningtou
Battle of Kuningtou

The Battle of Kuningtou or Battle of Jinmen was a battle fought over Kinmen in the Taiwan Strait during the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The failure of the Communist Party of China to take the island left it in the hands of the Kuomintang and crushed their chances of taking Taiwan to defeat the Nationalists completely in the war....
 and stopped the invasion. In 1950 Chiang took office in Taipei under the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion
Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion

The Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion was a series of temporary constitutional provisions passed by the National Assembly of the Republic of China of the Republic of China on May 10, 1948 that provided to the then President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek extended powers amid the height of the Ch...
. The provision declared martial law
Martial law

Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupied territory in the absence of any other civil government....
 in Taiwan and halted some democratic processes, including presidential and parliamentary elections, until the mainland could be recovered from the Communists. KMT estimated it would take 3 years to defeat the Communists. The slogan was "prepare in the first year, start fighting in the second, and conquer in the third year." However, various factors, including international pressure, are believed to have prevented the KMT from militarily engaging the Communists full-scale. A cold war with a couple of minor military conflicts was resulted in the early years. The various government bodies previously in Nanjing
Nanjing

is the capital city of China's Jiangsu province of China, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and Chinese culture. Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Historical capitals of China....
 were re-established in Taipei as the KMT-controlled government actively claimed sovereignty over all China. The Republic of China in Taiwan retained China's seat in the United Nations
China and the United Nations

China's seat in the United Nations and membership of the United Nations Security Council has been occupied by the People's Republic of China since October 25, 1971....
 until 1971 .
Chiang Ching Kuo
Until the 1970s, KMT successfully pushed ahead with land reforms, developed the economy, implemented a democratic system in a lower level of the government, improved cross-Taiwan Strait relations, and created the Taiwan economic miracle. However KMT controlled the government under a one-party authoritarian state until reforms in the late 1970s through the 1990s. The ROC in Taiwan was once referred to synonymously with the KMT and known simply as "Nationalist China" after its ruling party. In the 1970s, the KMT began to allow for "supplemental elections" in Taiwan to fill the seats of the aging representatives in parliament. Although opposition parties were not permitted, Tangwai
Tangwai

The Tangwai movement was a political movement in the Republic of China in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Although the Kuomintang had allowed contested elections for a small number of seats in Legislative Yuan, opposition parties were still forbidden....
 (or, "outside the party") representatives were tolerated. In the 1980s, the KMT focused on transforming the government from a single-party system to a multi-party democracy one and embracing "Taiwanizing
Taiwanese localization movement

Taiwanization , also known as the Taiwanese localization movement, is a political term used in Taiwan to emphasize the importance of a separate Taiwanese culture rather than to regard Taiwan as solely an appendage of China....
". With the founding of the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party

The Democratic Progressive Party is a major political party in the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with the Pan-Green Coalition and De facto Taiwan independence movement, although it moderated its stance during its Republic of China presidential election, 2000....
 (DPP) in 1986, the KMT started competing against the DPP in Parliamentary elections. In 1991, martial law
Martial law

Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupied territory in the absence of any other civil government....
 ceased when President Lee Teng-Hui
Lee Teng-hui

Lee Teng-hui born 15 January 1923) is a politician of Taiwan. He was the President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000....
 terminated the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion
Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion

The Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion was a series of temporary constitutional provisions passed by the National Assembly of the Republic of China of the Republic of China on May 10, 1948 that provided to the then President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek extended powers amid the height of the Ch...
. All parties started to be allowed to compete at all levels of elections, including the presidential election. Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui

Lee Teng-hui born 15 January 1923) is a politician of Taiwan. He was the President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000....
, the ROC's first democratically elected President and the leader of the KMT during the 1990s, announced his advocacy of "special state-to-state relations" with the PRC. The PRC associated it with Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence

Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan out of the lands currently governed by the Republic of China and claimed by the People's Republic of China....
.

The KMT faced a split in 1994 that led to the formation of the Chinese New Party
New Party (Republic of China)

The New Party , formerly the Chinese New Party , is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China .The Chinese New Party was formed out of a split from the then-ruling Kuomintang by members of the New Kuomintang Alliance in August 1993....
, alleged to be a result of Lee's "corruptive ruling style". The New Party has, since the purging of Lee, largely reintegrated into KMT. A much more serious split in the party occurred as a result of the 2000 Presidential election
ROC presidential election, 2000

The Election for the 10th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China , the second ever direct elections for President of the Republic of China and Vice President of the Republic of China on Taiwan and the 10th under the Constitution of the Republic of China, were held on March 18, 2000....
. Upset at the choice of Lien Chan
Lien Chan

Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005....
 as the party's presidential nominee, former party Secretary-General James Soong
James Soong

James Chu-yu Soong is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party , a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
 launched an independent bid, which resulted in the expulsion of Soong and his supporters and the formation of the People's First Party (PFP). The KMT candidate placed third behind Soong in the elections. After the election, Lee's strong relationship with the opponent became apparent. In order to prevent defections to the PFP, Lien moved the party away from Lee's pro-independence policies and became more favorable toward Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification

Chinese reunification is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity....
. This shift led to Lee's expulsion from the party and the formation of the Taiwan Solidarity Union
Taiwan Solidarity Union

The Taiwan Solidarity Union is a political party in the Republic of China which advocates Taiwan independence. Unlike the Democratic Progressive Party, its larger companion party in the pan-green coalition, the TSU actively campaigns for the creation of a de jure Republic of Taiwan....
.

Current issues and challenges

Kuomintang Nanjing
As the ruling party on Taiwan, the KMT amassed a vast business empire of banks, investment companies, petrochemical firms, and television and radio stations, thought to have made it the world's richest political party, with assets once estimated to be around US$ 2–10 billion. Although this war chest appeared to help the KMT until the mid-1990s, it later led to accusations of corruption (see Black gold (politics)
Black gold (politics)

Black gold is a term used in the Republic of China to refer to political political corruption. The term refers to the obtaining of money through a dark, secretive, and corrupt method ....
). After 2000, the KMT's financial holdings appeared to be more of a liability than a benefit, and the KMT started to divest its assets. However, the transactions were not disclosed and the whereabouts of the money earned from selling assets (if it has gone anywhere) is unknown. There were accusations in the 2004 presidential election
ROC presidential election, 2004

The Election for the 11th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China , the third direct presidential election in Taiwan's history and the 11th presidential election overall under the Constitution of the Republic of China, was held on March 20, 2004....
 that the KMT retained assets that were illegally acquired. Currently, there is a law proposed by the DPP in the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China , which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People....
 to recover illegally acquired party assets and return them to the government; however, since the pan-Blue alliance, the KMT and its smaller partner PFP, control the legislature, it is very unlikely to be passed. The KMT also acknowledged that part of its assets were acquired through extra-legal means and thus promised to "retro-endow" them to the government. However, the quantity of the assets which should be classified as illegal are still under heated debate; Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party

The Democratic Progressive Party is a major political party in the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with the Pan-Green Coalition and De facto Taiwan independence movement, although it moderated its stance during its Republic of China presidential election, 2000....
 (DPP), in its capacity as ruling party from 2000–2008, claimed that there is much more that the KMT has yet to acknowledge. Also, the KMT actively sold assets under its title in order to quench its recent financial difficulties, which the DPP argues is illegal. Former KMT Chairman Ma Ying-Jeou
Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
's position is that the KMT will sell some of its properties at below market rates rather than return them to the government and that the details of these transactions will not be publicly disclosed.

In December 2003, then-KMT chairman (present chairman emeritus) and presidential candidate Lien Chan
Lien Chan

Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005....
 initiated what appeared to some to be a major shift in the party's position on the linked questions of Chinese reunification and Taiwan independence. Speaking to foreign journalists, Lien said that while the KMT was opposed to "immediate independence," it did not wish to be classed as "pro-reunificationist" either.

At the same time, Wang Jin-pyng
Wang Jin-pyng

Wang Jin-pyng , Republic of China politician, is the President of the Legislative Yuan. As one of the leading figures of the Kuomintang, Wang is considered to be soft-spoken and a concilatory figure....
, speaker of the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China , which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People....
 and the Pan-Blue Coalition's campaign manager in the 2004 presidential election
ROC presidential election, 2004

The Election for the 11th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China , the third direct presidential election in Taiwan's history and the 11th presidential election overall under the Constitution of the Republic of China, was held on March 20, 2004....
, said that the party no longer opposed Taiwan's "eventual independence." This statement was later clarified as meaning that the KMT opposes any immediate decision on unification and independence and would like to have this issue resolved by future generations. The KMT's position on the cross-strait relationship was redefined as hoping to remain in the current neither-independent-nor-united situation. In 2005, then-party chairman Lien Chan
Lien Chan

Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005....
 announced that he was to leave his office. The two leading contenders for the position include Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
 and Wang Jin-pyng. On April 5, 2005, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou said he wished to lead the opposition Kuomintang with Wang Jin-pyng. On 16 July 2005, Ma was elected as KMT chairman in the first contested leadership in Kuomintang's 93-year history
KMT chairmanship election, 2005

The Chinese Kuomintang chairmanship election of 2005 was held on July 16, 2005 in the Republic of China between Ma Ying-jeou and Wang Jin-pyng....
. Some 54 percent of the party's 1.04 million members cast their ballots. Ma Ying-jeou garnered 72.4 percent of vote share, or 375,056 votes, against Wang Jin-pyng's 27.6 percent, or 143,268 votes. After failing to convince Wang to stay on as a vice chairman, Ma named holdovers Wu Po-hsiung, Chiang Pin-kung
Chiang Pin-kung

Chiang Pin-kung is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He is currently vice-chairman of the Kuomintang , and chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation ....
, and Lin Cheng-chi, as well as long-time party administrator and strategist John Kuan, as vice-chairmen; all appointments were approved by a hand count of party delegates.

There has been a recent warming of relations between the pan-blue coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition

The Pan-Blue Coalition or Pan-Blue Force, is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party ....
 and the PRC, with prominent members of both the KMT and PFP in active discussions with officials on the Mainland. In February 2004, it appeared that KMT had opened a campaign office for the Lien-Soong ticket in Shanghai
Shanghai

Shanghai is the List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population in China and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population in the world, with over 20 million people....
 targeting Taiwanese businessmen. However, after an adverse reaction in Taiwan, the KMT quickly declared that the office was opened without official knowledge or authorization. In addition, the PRC issued a statement forbidding open campaigning in the Mainland and formally stated that it had no preference as to which candidate won and cared only about the positions of the winning candidate.

On March 28, 2005, thirty members of the Kuomintang (KMT), led by KMT vice chairman Chiang Pin-kung
Chiang Pin-kung

Chiang Pin-kung is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He is currently vice-chairman of the Kuomintang , and chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation ....
, arrived in mainland China. This marked the first official visit by the KMT to the mainland since it was defeated by communist forces in 1949 (although KMT members including Chiang had made individual visits in the past). The delegates began their itinerary by paying homage to the revolutionary martyrs of the Tenth Uprising at Huanghuagang. They subsequently flew to the former ROC capital of Nanjing
Nanjing

is the capital city of China's Jiangsu province of China, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and Chinese culture. Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Historical capitals of China....
 to commemorate Sun Yat-sen. During the trip KMT signed a 10-points agreement with the CPC. The opponents regarded this visit as the prelude of the third KMT-CPC cooperation. Weeks afterwards, in May, Chairman Lien Chan visited the mainland and met with Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang Zemin in the Generations of Chinese leadership...
. No agreements were signed because Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian

Chen Shui-bian is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. He is colloquially referred to as Ah-Bian .Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, took office in 2000, ending more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan....
's government threatened to prosecute the KMT delegation for treason and violation of R.O.C. laws prohibiting citizens from collaborating with Communists.

On February 13, 2007, Ma was indicted by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office on charges of allegedly embezzling approximately NT$11 million (US$339,000), regarding the issue of "special expenses" while he was mayor of Taipei. Shortly after the indictment, he submitted his resignation as chairman of the Kuomintang at the same press conference at which he formally announced his candidacy for President. Ma argued that it was customary for officials to use the special expense fund for personal expenses undertaken in the course of their official duties. In December 2007, Ma was acquitted of all charges and immediately filed suit against the prosecutors who are also appealing the acquittal.

Elections and results

Panblue
The KMT won a landslide victory in the Republic of China Presidential Election on March 22, 2008. The KMT fielded former Taipei mayor and former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
 to run against the DPP's Frank Hsieh. Ma won by a large margin of 17% against Hsieh. Ma took office on May 20, 2008 and ended 8 years of the DPP presidency. The KMT also won a landslide victory in the 2008 legislative elections
Republic of China legislative election, 2008

Legislative elections were held on January 12, 2008 in the Republic of China. The results gave the Kuomintang and the Pan-Blue Coalition a supermajority in the legislature, handing a heavy defeat to then-President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party, which won the remaining 27 seats only....
, winning 81 of 113 seats, or 71.7% of seats in the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China , which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People....
. These two elections gave the KMT firm control of both the executive and legislative yuans.

Prior to this, the party's voters had defected to both the PFP and TSU, and the KMT did poorly in the December 2001 legislative elections and lost its position as the largest party in the Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China , which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People....
. However, the party did well in the 2002 local government mayoral and council election with Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
, its candidate for Taipei mayor, winning reelection by a landslide and its candidate for Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan. It is enclosed by the Kaohsiung County, and faces the Taiwan Strait on the west. As one of two Direct-controlled municipality under the administration of Republic of China , Kaohsiung is officially named as the Kaohsiung City, a Province -level political division....
 mayor narrowly losing but doing surprisingly well. Since 2002, the KMT and PFP have coordinated electoral strategies. In 2004, the KMT and PFP ran a joint presidential ticket, with Lien running for president and Soong running for vice-president.

The loss of the presidential election of 2004 to DPP President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian

Chen Shui-bian is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. He is colloquially referred to as Ah-Bian .Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, took office in 2000, ending more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan....
 by merely over 30,000 votes was a bitter disappointment to party members, leading to large scale rallies for several weeks protesting alleged electoral fraud and the "odd circumstances" of the shooting of President Chen
3-19 shooting incident

The 2004 President Chen and Vice President Lu Assassination Attempt, also known as the 3-19 Presidential Assassination Attempt was an assassination attempt on President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu while they were campaigning in Tainan City on March 19, 2004, the day before the Republic of China ROC presidential elec...
. However, the fortunes of the party were greatly improved when the KMT did well in the legislative elections
ROC legislative election, 2004

The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, 2004. All 225 seats of the Legislative Yuan were up for election: 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas...
 held in December 2004 by maintaining its support in southern Taiwan achieving a majority for the pan-blue coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition

The Pan-Blue Coalition or Pan-Blue Force, is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party ....
. Soon after the election, there appeared to be a falling out with the KMT's junior partner the People's First Party and talk of a merger seemed to have ended. This split appeared to widen in early 2005, as the leader of the PFP, James Soong
James Soong

James Chu-yu Soong is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party , a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
 appeared to be reconciling with President Chen Shui-Bian
Chen Shui-bian

Chen Shui-bian is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. He is colloquially referred to as Ah-Bian .Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, took office in 2000, ending more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan....
 and the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party

The Democratic Progressive Party is a major political party in the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with the Pan-Green Coalition and De facto Taiwan independence movement, although it moderated its stance during its Republic of China presidential election, 2000....
. Many PFP members including legislators and municipal leaders have defected to the KMT, and the PFP is seen as a fading party.

The KMT won a decisive victory in the 3-in-1 local elections
ROC local elections, 2005

The Election of County Magistrates, County Councilmen, and Township Governors , commonly known as the "Three-in-One Election" , was held in the Republic of China on December 3, 2005 for mayors of provincial city, magistrates of counties, members of county and city councils, and heads of township of China, town of Chinas and county-ad...
 of December 2005, replacing the DPP as the largest party at the local level. This was seen as a major victory for the party ahead of legislative elections in 2007. There were elections for the two municipalities of the ROC, Taipei and Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan. It is enclosed by the Kaohsiung County, and faces the Taiwan Strait on the west. As one of two Direct-controlled municipality under the administration of Republic of China , Kaohsiung is officially named as the Kaohsiung City, a Province -level political division....
 on December 2006. The KMT won a clear victory in Taipei, but lost to the DPP in the southern city of Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan. It is enclosed by the Kaohsiung County, and faces the Taiwan Strait on the west. As one of two Direct-controlled municipality under the administration of Republic of China , Kaohsiung is officially named as the Kaohsiung City, a Province -level political division....
 by the slim margin of 1,100 votes.

After 8 years of the KMT legislative majority sharing rule with a DPP president, the KMT regained the presidency by winning the 2008 Presidential Election. The citizens of the ROC elected Presidential candidate Ma Ying Jeou and Vice-Presidential candidate Vincent Siew. This followed an earlier election in January of the Legislative Yuan in which the KMT increased their control of the legislature by winning 3 quarters of the total seats.

Organisation

New Kmt Headquarters, Taipei

List of leaders of the Kuomintang (1912–1914)

President:
  1. Song Jiaoren
    Song Jiaoren

    Song Jiaoren was a China republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang ....
     (1912–1913)


Premier:
  1. Sun Yat-sen
    Sun Yat-sen

    Sun Yat-sen , also known as Sun Yixian, Sun Wen, Sun Itchisen/Sun Itchiyama and Sun Zhongshan , was a China revolutionary and Politician leader often referred to as the Father of the Nation....
     (1913–1914)


List of leaders of the Kuomintang of China (1919–present)

Premier:
  1. Sun Yat-sen
    Sun Yat-sen

    Sun Yat-sen , also known as Sun Yixian, Sun Wen, Sun Itchisen/Sun Itchiyama and Sun Zhongshan , was a China revolutionary and Politician leader often referred to as the Father of the Nation....
     (1919–1925)
  2. Zhang Renjie (1925–1926)


Chairman of Central Executive Committee:
  1. Hu Hanmin
    Hu Hanmin

    Hu Hanmin was one of the early leaders of Kuomintang , and a very important Right-wing politics in Kuomintang....
     (1927–1931)
  2. Wang Jingwei
    Wang Jingwei

    Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming , was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but he was staunchly anti-Communist, and his politics veered sharply to the right later in his career....
     (1931–1933)
  3. Chiang Kai-shek
    Chiang Kai-shek

    Chiang Kai-shek , Order of the Bath , served as Generalissimo of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. He was sometimes referred to simply as "the Generalissimo"....
     (1933–1938) (self-proclaimed)


Director-General:
  1. Chiang Kai-shek
    Chiang Kai-shek

    Chiang Kai-shek , Order of the Bath , served as Generalissimo of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. He was sometimes referred to simply as "the Generalissimo"....
     (1926–1927)
    Vacancy (1927–1935)
  2. Hu Hanmin
    Hu Hanmin

    Hu Hanmin was one of the early leaders of Kuomintang , and a very important Right-wing politics in Kuomintang....
     (1935–1936)
    Vacancy (1936–1938)
  3. Chiang Kai-shek
    Chiang Kai-shek

    Chiang Kai-shek , Order of the Bath , served as Generalissimo of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. He was sometimes referred to simply as "the Generalissimo"....
     (1938–1975)


Chairman:
  1. Chiang Ching-kuo
    Chiang Ching-kuo

    Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China ....
     (1975–1988)
  2. Lee Teng-hui
    Lee Teng-hui

    Lee Teng-hui born 15 January 1923) is a politician of Taiwan. He was the President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000....
     (1988-2000)
  3. Lien Chan
    Lien Chan

    Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005....
     (2000-2005)
  4. Ma Ying-jeou
    Ma Ying-jeou

    Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent President of the Republic of China of the Republic of China . He formerly served as Ministry of Justice from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007....
     (2005-2007)
  5. Wu Po-hsiung (2007) (acting)
  6. Chiang Pin-kung
    Chiang Pin-kung

    Chiang Pin-kung is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He is currently vice-chairman of the Kuomintang , and chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation ....
     (2007) (acting)
  7. Wu Po-hsiung (April 2007–present)


Current vice chairpersons

  • Chan Chuen-pao
  • Lin Fong-cheng
  • Chiang Pin-kung
    Chiang Pin-kung

    Chiang Pin-kung is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He is currently vice-chairman of the Kuomintang , and chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation ....
  • Chiang Shou-Yan
  • Wu Tun-Yi
  • Tseng Yon-Chun
  • Chu Li-Luan
  • Hwan Ming-Hua

List of Secretaries-General of the Kuomintang of China

Seceretaries-General of the Central Executive Committee:
  1. Yeh Ch'u-ts'ang (1926–1927)
  2. Post abolished (1927–1929)
  3. Chen Li-fu (1929–1931)
  4. Ting Wei-feng (1931)
  5. Yeh Ch'u-ts'ang (1931–1938)
  6. Chu Chia-hua (1938–1939)
  7. Yeh Ch'u-ts'ang (1939–1941)
  8. Wu Tieh-cheng (1941–1948)
  9. Cheng Yen-feng (1948–1950)


Seceretaries-General of the Central Reform Committee:
  1. Chang Chi-yun
    Chang Chi-yun

    Chang Chi-yun was a historian, geographer, educator and politician. He was the founder of the Chinese Culture University.The name Chi-Yun Chang seems derived from the Chang dynasty referred to as the Ch'i Yun period....
    (1950–1952)


Seceretaries-General of the Central Committee:
  1. Chang Chi-yun
    Chang Chi-yun

    Chang Chi-yun was a historian, geographer, educator and politician. He was the founder of the Chinese Culture University.The name Chi-Yun Chang seems derived from the Chang dynasty referred to as the Ch'i Yun period....
     (1952–1954)
  2. Chang Li-sheng (1954–1959)
  3. Tang Tsung (1959–1964)
  4. Ku Feng-hsiang (1964–1968)
  5. Chang Pao-shu (1968–1979)
  6. Chiang Yen-si (1979–1985)
  7. Ma Su-lei (1985–1987)
  8. Lee Huan
    Lee Huan

    Lee Huan is a politician in the Republic of China. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1989 to 1990, serving for one year under former President Lee Teng-hui....
    (1987–1989)
  9. James Soong
    James Soong

    James Chu-yu Soong is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party , a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
    (1989–1993)
  10. Hsu Shui-teh (1993–1996)
  11. Wu Po-hsiung (1996–1998)
  12. Chang Hsiao-yen (1998–1999)
  13. Huang Kun-fei (1999-2000)
  14. Lin Fong-cheng (2000-2005)
  15. Chan Chuen-pao (2005-2007)
  16. Wu Tun-yi (2007-present)


See also

  • History of the Republic of China
    History of the Republic of China

    The history of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China ended over two thousand years of Imperial rule....
  • Politics of the Republic of China
    Politics of the Republic of China

    The politics of the Republic of China takes place in a framework of a Semi-presidential system Representative democracy republic, whereby the President of the Republic of China is head of state and the Premier of the Republic of China is head of government, and of a dominant party system....
  • Military of the Republic of China
    Military of the Republic of China

    The Republic of China maintains a large and technologically advanced armed forces establishment, which accounted for 16.8% of the central budget in the fiscal year of 2003....
  • Elections in the Republic of China
    Elections in the Republic of China

    Elections of the Republic of China gives information on election and election results in the politics of the Republic of China with effective control over Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu and list of islands of the Republic of China#South China Sea since 1949....
  • List of political parties of the Republic of China
  • List of assets owned by the Kuomintang
    List of assets owned by the Kuomintang

    The Kuomintang is a political party active in the Republic of China . It has purportedly been among the world's most wealthiest political parties. In recent years much attention, whether deemed necessary or not, has been paid to the party's businesses and real estate....
  • Administrative divisions of the Republic of China
  • Political status of Taiwan
    Political status of Taiwan

    The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including Penghu, should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become Chinese reunification with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare independence and become the Republic of Taiwa...
  • Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang
    Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang

    The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang is one of eight registered minor political party in the People's Republic of China.It was founded in 1948 by leftists who broke with the main Kuomintang during the Chinese Civil War....
  • History of the Kuomintang cultural policy
    History of the Kuomintang cultural policy

    During the early postwar period the Kuomintang suppressed localism and barred Taiwanese from cosmopolitan life except in the spheres of science and technology ....


Further reading

  • Chris Taylor, "Taiwan's Seismic shift," Asian Wall Street Journal, February 4 2004 (not available online)


External links