Encyclopedia
- The Republic of China governs Taiwan and some surrounding islands, and should not be confused with the People's Republic of China , which governs mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. See below for details.
The
Republic of China is a country in
East Asia. Once the national government of all
China, it lost control of
mainland China to the
People's Republic of China as a result of the
Chinese Civil War in the late 1940's, and since then has only administered the island groups of
Taiwan , the
Pescadores,
Kinmen, and Matsu. Over subsequent decades, the Republic of China has been increasingly referred to as "
Taiwan", and since the late 1970s the name "
China" has been increasingly used to refer to the
People's Republic of China on the mainland. For
political reasons, the Republic of China is commonly referred to as "
Chinese Taipei" in international organizations.
The ROC was established in 1912, replacing the last Chinese dynasty, the
Qing Dynasty, and ending over 2,000 years of imperial rule in China. It is thus the oldest surviving republic in East Asia. The rule of the Republic of China in Mainland China was scarred by
warlordism,
Japanese invasion, and
civil war. Major fighting in the civil war ended in 1950 with the
Communist Party of China in control of most of Mainland China, and government of the Republic of China in control of Taiwan and several offshore islands . The CPC proclaimed a new state, the People's Republic of China in
Beijing in 1949. The Republic of China on Taiwan continued to regard itself as the sole and legitimate government of all of China. This was a claim recognized by most nations until the late 1970s.
Starting in 1928, the Republic of China was ruled by the
Kuomintang as an authoritarian dictatorship. In the 1950s and 1960s, the KMT took steps to reform the economy by reducing corruption and reforming land policies which coincided with a period of great economic growth despite the constant threat of war and civil unrest. The political scene changed in the 1980s and 1990s as the Republic of China government on Taiwan actively pursued a transition to a democratic system, beginning with the first
direct presidential election in 1996 and culminating in the 2000 election of President
Chen Shui-bian, the first non-KMT president elected.
Political status
The political status of Taiwan is a contentious issue. The PRC claims that the ROC government is illegitimate, referring to it as the "Taiwan Authority". The KMT-ruled ROC proclaimed itself the sole legitimate government of China. Although the ROC under the administration of
pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian does not actively claim jurisdiction over all of China, the national boundaries of the ROC have not been redrawn and its outstanding territorial claims from the late 1940's have not been revised. Thus, the claimed borders of the ROC continue to include technically
Mainland China , Taiwan,
Mongolia, northern
Myanmar, and
Tuva as part of the ROC.
The political environment is complicated by the potential for military conflict should overt actions toward independence or reunification be taken. It is the policy of the PRC to use force to ensure reunification if peaceful reunification fails as stated in its
anti-secession law, and there are substantial military installations on the Fujian coast for this reason. The US has provided military training and arms sales to the ROC. However, the current status quo, as defined by the United States, is supported on a quid pro quo basis between Beijing and Taipei. The former is expected to "use no force or threat to use force against Taiwan," and the latter is to "exercise prudence in managing all aspects of cross-Strait relations." Both Beijing and Taipei are to refrain from performing actions or espousing statements "that would unilaterally alter Taiwan's status."
Within the ROC, opinions are polarized between those supporting reunification, represented by the
Pan-Blue Coalition of parties, and those supporting independence, represented by the Pan-Green Coalition of parties. The Kuomintang, which is the largest Pan-Blue party, supports the status quo for the indefinite future with a stated ultimate goal of reunification. However, it does not support unification in the short term with the PRC, as such a prospect would be unacceptable to most of its members and the public.
Ma Ying-Jeou, current chairman of the KMT and frontrunner for the 2008 presidential election, has set out democracy, economic development to a level near that of the ROC, and equitable wealth distribution as the conditions that the mainland must fulfill in order for reunification to occur. The DPP, the largest Pan-Green party, also supports the status quo because the risk of provoking the PRC is unacceptable to its members. However, President Chen Shui-Bian, of the DPP, has stated that no matter what, any said decision should be decided through a public referendum of the people of the ROC. Both parties' current foreign policy positions support actively advocating ROC participation in international organizations, but the KMT accepts the "One-China" principle and the DPP encourages economic ties with countries other than the PRC for security reasons.
For its part, the PRC appears to find the retention of the name "Republic of China" far more acceptable than the declaration of an independent Taiwan. It has stated that any effort on Taiwan to formally abolish the ROC and replace it with an explicitly Taiwanese state would result in a strong and possibly military reaction. The US's current position is that the Taiwan issue must be resolved peacefully and the US condemns unilateral action by either side, an unprovoked invasion by the PRC or a declaration of formal independence by Taiwan.
In accordance with the One-China policy and the PRC's view that the ROC government is illegitimate, the PRC requires all countries that it has diplomatic relations with to give no recognition to the ROC. As a result, there are only 24 states that have diplomatic relations with the ROC. However, many countries have representative offices in the ROC. For instance, the
United States maintains non-official relations with the ROC through the unofficial instrumentality of the American Institute in Taiwan. Reciprocally, the ROC maintains similar representative offices in many countries, which are referred to as "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices" , with branch offices called "Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices" . Both TECRO and TECO are unofficial commercial entities of the ROC in charge of maintaining bilateral relations, providing consular services, and serving the interests of the ROC in other countries in some ways that are similar to diplomatic offices.
Also in accordance with the One-China policy, the PRC only participates in international organizations where the ROC is not recognized as a state. In 1945, the ROC as representative of China was one of the founding states of the
United Nations; however, in 1971, it was replaced by the PRC. Each year since 1992, the ROC has petitioned the UN for entry but has so far been unsuccessful because most countries, including the United States, do not wish to discuss the issue of the ROC's political status for fears of souring diplomatic ties with the PRC. However, both the US and Japan publicly support the ROC's bid for membership in the World Health Organization as an observer. Similarly, the ROC uses the name
Chinese Taipei in international events such as the
Olympic Games, when PRC is also a party. The ROC is also barred from using its national anthem and national flag in international events due to PRC pressure, and ROC spectators attending events such as the Olympics are barred from bringing ROC national flags into Olympic venues. On the other hand, the ROC is able to participate as "China" in organizations that the PRC does not participate in, such as the
World Organization of the Scout Movement.
The relationship with the PRC and the related issues of
Taiwan independence and Chinese reunification continue to dominate ROC politics. For any particular resolution public favor shifts greatly with small changes in wording, illustrating the complexity of public opinion on the topic.
History
1911-1927
In 1911, after over 2000 years of imperial rule, China overthrew its dynastic system in favor of a republic. The
Qing Dynasty was weak, China having just experienced a century of instability, suffering from both internal rebellion and foreign domination. Taiwan was not part of China in this era, having been ceded to Japan in 1895. The Neo-Confucian principles that had previously sustained the dynastic system were now called into question with a loss of cultural self-confidence that resulted in about 40 million Chinese consumers of
opium by 1900. By the time of its defeat by an expeditionary force of all major powers in 1900 during the suppression of the
Boxer Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty was already in its last throes, with only the lack of an alternative regime in sight prolonging its existence until 1912.
The establishment of Republican China developed out of the
Wuchang Uprising against the
Qing Dynasty on October 10, 1911. The Republic of China was declared on January 1, 1912, with
Sun Yat-sen as first elected
provisional president. As part of the agreement to have the last emperor
Puyi abdicate,
Yuan Shikai was officially elected president in 1913. However, Yuan dissolved the ruling KMT, ignored the provisional Constitution in asserting presidential power, and ultimately declared himself
emperor of China in 1915.
Yuan's supporters deserted him, and many provinces declared independence and became warlord states. Yuan Shikai died of natural causes in 1916. This thrust China into a decade of warlordism. Sun Yat-sen, forced into exile, returned to Guangdong province with the help of southern warlords in 1917 and 1920, and set up successive rival governments. Sun reestablished the KMT in October 1919.
The central power in Beijing struggled to hold on to power. An open and wide ranging debate evolved regarding how China should confront the West. After the
Treaty of Versailles, on May 4th, a student protest led to a nationwide uprising and gave the movement its name.
Chinese anarchism, specifically anarchist communism, had been the one of the most prominent forms of revolutionary
socialism even before the Wuchang Uprising. Following the
Russian Revolution of 1917, the influence of Marxism spread and became more popular.
Li Dazhao and
Chen Duxiu led the Marxist-Leninist movement in the beginning. The
Communist Party of China was founded in July 1921.
1927-1949
After Sun's untimely death in March 1925,
Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the KMT. Chiang had led the successful
Northern Expedition which, with the help of the
Soviet Union, defeated the warlords and nominally united China under the KMT. Soviet advisors had provided training in advance propaganda, popular agitation, and Russian arms. However, Chiang soon dismissed his Soviet advisors, and purged Communists and leftists from the KMT, leading to the
Chinese Civil War. The Communists were pushed into the interior as Chiang Kai-shek sought to destroy them. Chiang consolidated his rule, establishing a Nationalist Government in Nanjing in 1928. Efforts were made to establish a modern civil society, by creating the Academia Sinica, the
Bank of China, and other agencies.
Stability was interrupted by the
Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, with hostilities continuing through the
Second Sino-Japanese War . In 1945 Japan surrendered and the Republic of China became one of the founding members of the
United Nations.
The
Chinese civil war between the Communists and the Nationalists resumed and intensified. Despite numerical superiority and American aid, the Nationalists succumbed to the Communists in 1949 due to tactical mistakes and spiraling inflation.
1945-present
After the defeat of Japan during World War II, Taiwan was surrendered to the Allies and occupied by the ROC government on behalf of the United States. It was governed under a corrupt military administration, which led to widespread unrest and increasing tensions between Taiwanese and mainlanders. The arrest of a cigarette vendor and the shooting of a bystander on February 28, 1947 triggered island-wide unrest, which was then suppressed with military force in what is now called the
228 Incident. Mainstream estimates of casualties range from 10,000 to 30,000, mainly Taiwanese elites. The administration declared martial law in 1948.
After the defeat of the KMT in 1949,
Chiang Kai-shek evacuated the government of the Republic of China to
Taiwan and declared
Taipei the provisional capital of China. Accompanying his retreat were some 2 million refugees from
mainland China, adding to the earlier population of approximately 6 million.
During the
Cold War the Republic of China was viewed by the United States and its allies as "Free China" and a bastion against Communism. The Republic of China was recognized as the sole legitimate government of both Mainland China and Taiwan by the
United Nations and many Western nations until the 1970s. As it became clear that the PRC was stable and would not be dislodged as the de facto government of China any time soon, recognition by most major powers switched from the ROC to the PRC.
Taiwan remained under martial law and one-party rule, under the name of the "Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion" , from 1948 to 1987, when Presidents
Chiang Ching-kuo and
Lee Teng-hui gradually liberalized and democratized the system. In 2000,
Chen Shui-bian of the more pro-independence
Democratic Progressive Party was
elected president, becoming the first non-KMT constitutional president of the Republic of China. In the
2004 presidential election, after
being shot while campaigning one day before, Chen was reelected by a narrow margin of 0.2%. In both of Chen's terms the DPP and the
independence leaning Pan-Green Coalition failed to secure a majority of seats in the legislature, losing to the KMT and the pro-eventual unification leaning
Pan-Blue Coalition. Because the president in the ROC system does not have the power of veto, this has led to many impasses as the legislature does not see it necessary to negotiate with the executive branch.
Government
Republican China
The first national government of the Chinese Republic was established on January 1, 1912, in Nanjing, with Sun Yat-sen as the provisional president. Provincial delegates were sent to confirm the authority of the national government, and they later also formed the first parliament. The power of this national government was both limited and short-lived, with generals controlling both central and northern provinces of China. The limited acts passed by this government included the formal abdication of the Qing dynasty and some economic initiatives.
Shortly after the rise of
Yuan, the parliament's authority became nominal; violations of the Constitution by Yuan were met with half-hearted motions of censure, and Kuomintang members of the parliament that gave up their membership in the KMT were offered 1,000 pounds. Yuan maintained power locally by sending military generals to be provincial governors or by obtaining the allegiance of those already in power. Foreign powers came to recognize Yuan's power as well: when Japan came to China with 21 demands, it was Yuan who submitted to them, on May 25, 1915.
When Yuan died, the parliament of 1913 was reconvened to give legitimacy to a new government. However, the real power of the time passed to military leaders, forming the warlord period. The impotent government still had its use; when World War I began, several Western powers and Japan wanted China to declare war on Germany, in order to liquidate German holdings.
Present
The
head of state is the
President, who is elected by popular vote for a four-year term on the same ticket as the Vice-President. The President has authority over the five administrative branches : the
Executive Yuan,
Legislative Yuan,
Control Yuan,
Judicial Yuan, and Examination Yuan. The President appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as his cabinet, including a Premier, who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration.
The main
legislative body is the
unicameral Legislative Yuan with two hundred and twenty-five seats. One hundred and sixty-eight are elected by popular vote. Forty-one are elected based on the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties. Eight are elected from overseas Chinese constituencies and eight are for the aboriginal populations based on the same principle. Members serve three-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly, as a standing constitutional convention and electoral college, held some
parliamentary functions, but the National Assembly was abolished in 2005 with the power of constitutional amendments handed over to the Legislative Yuan and all eligible voters of the Republic.
The Judicial Yuan is Taiwan's highest judicial body. It interprets the constitution and other laws and decrees, judges administrative suits, and disciplines public functionaries. The President and Vice-President of the Judicial Yuan and fifteen Justices form the Council of Grand Justices. They are nominated and appointed by the President of the Republic, with the consent of the Legislative Yuan. The highest court, the Supreme Court, consists of a number of civil and criminal divisions, each of which is formed by a presiding Judge and four Associate Judges, all appointed for life. In 1993 a separate constitutional court was established to resolve constitutional disputes, regulate the activities of political parties and accelerate the democratization process. There is no trial by jury but the right to a fair public trial is protected by law and respected in practice; many cases are presided over by multiple judges.
The ROC's political system does not fit traditional models. The Premier is selected by the President without the need for approval from the Legislature, but the Legislature can pass laws without regard for the President, as neither he nor the Premier wields veto power. Thus, there is little incentive for the President and the Legislature to negotiate on legislation if they are of opposing parties. In fact, since the election of the pan-Green's Chen Shui-bian as President in 2000 and the continued control of the Legislative Yuan by the pan-Blue majority, legislation has repeatedly stalled, as the two sides have been deadlocked. There is another curiosity of the ROC system; because the ROC was previously dominated by strongman single party politics, real power in the system shifted from one position to another, depending on what position was currently occupied by the leader of the state . This legacy has resulted in executive powers currently being concentrated in the office of the President rather than the Premier.
The term ruling party was previously applied to the KMT, as it was the authoritarian party that controlled all aspects of government . The Soviets, who had trained Chiang and the KMT and the Communists, left a lasting mark on the practices of the KMT, and under a Leninist style
one party state, there was little difference between the ROC government, the KMT, and the army. Today, however, the term "ruling party" has a specific, peculiar use in Taiwan and is used to describe the party holding the Presidency. This is not entirely accurate since Taiwan does not have a parliamentary system, where the executive branch is occupied by the same party or coalition that holds a majority in the legislature. This term is currently used because the Premier is appointed by the President, thus executive powers tend to be dominated by the party holding the Presidency.
Political divisions
According to the 1947 Constitution, written before the fall of Republican China, the highest level administrative division is the
province, which includes special administrative regions, regions, and centrally administered municipalities. However, in 1998 the only provincial government to remain fully functional under ROC jurisdiction,
Taiwan Province, was streamlined, with most responsibility assumed by the central government and the county-level governments . The ROC currently administers two provinces and two provincial level cities.
- Taiwan Province: the main island, except for the two municipalities, plus Penghu county
- Sixteen counties
- Five provincially administrated cities
- Fuchien Province: several islands off the Chinese mainland
- Kinmen County: Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen and Wuchiu
- part of Lienchiang County, namely Matsu, Dongyin, Siyin and Jyuguang
- Two Central Municipalities
The Republic of China also controls the
Dong-Sha Islands and Taiping Island, which are part of the disputed South China Sea Islands. They were placed under Kaohsiung City after the retreat to Taiwan.
Taichung is currently under consideration for elevation to central municipality status. Also, Taipei County and Kaohsiung County are considering mergers with their respective cities.
Although the ROC has not constitutionally renounced sovereignty over
Mainland China and Outer Mongolia, President Lee Teng-hui stated in 1991 that his government does not dispute the fact that the Communist Party rules Mainland China. The DPP government under Chen Shui-bian has removed Outer Mongolia from the ROC's official maps and established a representative office in
Mongolia's capital,
Ulan Bator. Offices established to create the appearance of domestic governance of those regions, such as the , lie dormant.
ROC official boundaries continue to show 35 provinces, 14 municipalities, 1 special administrative region, and 2 regions, instead of the 23 provinces, 4 municipalities, and 5 autonomous regions shown on PRC maps. The ruling DPP government has however dropped regulations that require ROC map makers to depict the official boundaries.
Politics
1911-1949
The original founding of the Republic centered on the
Three Principles of the People : Nationalism, Democracy, and People's Livelihood. Nationalism meant standing up to Japanese and European interference, Democracy meant elected rule modeled after Japan's parliament, and People's Livelihood or socialism meant government regulation of the means of production. Another lesser known principle was "Five Races Under One Union" , which emphasized the harmony of the five major ethnic groups in China, represented by the colored stripes of the original
Five-Colored Flag of the Republic. The Five Races Under One Union principle and the five-colored flag were abandoned in 1927.
The Three Principles were not realized. Republican China was riven by warlordism, foreign invasion, and civil war. There were elected legislators, but Republican China was largely a one-party dictatorship, with some minor parties including the Chinese Youth Party, the National Socialist Party, and the Rural Construction Party. Within the KMT there was suppression of dissent by the Communists. The central government was weak and unable to implement land reform or wealth redistribution. Politics of this era consisted primarily of political and military struggle between the KMT and the CPC between periods of military resistance against Japanese invasion.
1949-2005
The constitution of the Republic of China was drafted before the fall of mainland China to the Communists. It was created for the purpose of forming a coalition government between the Nationalists and the Communists for ruling all of China, including Taiwan. However, the CPC boycotted the National Assembly, and the Taiwanese representatives were not elected. The constitution went into effect December 25, 1947.
Taiwan remained under martial law from 1948 until 1987 and much of the constitution was not in effect. Political reforms beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the early 1990s liberalized the ROC from an authoritarian one-party state into a multiparty democracy. Since the lifting of martial law, the Republic of China has democratized and reformed, removing legacy components that were originally meant for the governing of mainland China. Many legacy components that remain are nonfunctional. This process of amendment continues. In 2000, the KMT's monopoly on power ended after the
Democratic Progressive Party won the
ROC presidency. In May 2005, a new National Assembly was elected to reduce the number of parliamentary seats and implement several constitutional reforms. These reforms have been passed; the National Assembly has essentially voted to abolish itself and transfer the power of constitutional reform to the popular ballot.
Present
The major camps
The political scene in the ROC is divided into two camps, with the pro-unification and center-right KMT, People First Party , and New Party forming the
Pan-Blue Coalition, and the pro-independence and center-left
Democratic Progressive Party and centrist
Taiwan Solidarity Union forming the Pan-Green Coalition.
The Pan-Green camp tends to favor emphasizing Taiwan as being distinct from China. Many Pan-Green supporters seek formal Taiwanese independence and to drop the title of the Republic of China. Some members of the coalition, such as current President Chen Shui-bian, have moderated their views and claim that it is unnecessary to proclaim independence because Taiwan is already "an independent, sovereign country" and the Republic of China is the same as Taiwan. Some members claim that the ROC is nonexistent and call for the establishment of an independent
Republic of Taiwan. Supporters of this idea have gone as far as issuing self-made "passports" for their republic. Attempts to use these "passports" however have been stopped by officials at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport.
Some Pan-Blue members, especially former leaders from the older generation, support the concept of the Republic of China, which remains an important symbol of their links with China. During his visit to mainland China in April 2005, former KMT Party Chairman
Lien Chan reiterated his party's belief in the "One China" policy, which states that there is only one China controlled by two governments and that Taiwan is a part of China. PFP Party Chair
James Soong expressed the same sentiments during his visit in May. The more mainstream Pan-Blue position is to lift investment restrictions and pursue negotiations with the PRC to immediately open direct transportation links. Regarding independence, the mainstream Pan-Blue position is to maintain the status quo, while being open to negotiations for unification.
Current political issues
The dominant political issue in the ROC is its relationship with the PRC. Many people in the ROC desire the opening of direct transportation links with the Mainland, including direct flights. This would aid many ROC businesses that have opened factories or branches on the Mainland. The current DPP administration fears that such links will lead to tighter economic and political integration with the PRC, and in the 2006 Lunar New Year Speech, President Chen Shui-bian called for managed opening of links.
Other major political issues include the passage of an arms procurement bill that the United States authorized in 2001, and the establishment of a National Communications Commission to take over from the Government Information Office, whose advertising budget exercised great control over ROC media.
Banking reform, including consumer finance and bank mergers, is a major issue. The ROC's financial sector is unwieldy, with over forty-eight banks, none with a market share over 10%. The government controls 50% to 60% of Taiwan's banking assets. The ultimate goal is to create large financial institutions that can compete internationally.
The politicians and their parties have themselves become major political issues. Corruption among some DPP administration officials has been exposed. The KMT was once the richest political party in the world and KMT assets continue to be an issue. The merger of the KMT and PFP was thought to be certain, but a string of defections from the PFP to the KMT have increased tensions within the Pan-Blue camp. There has been talk from both camps of amending the constitution to finally resolve whether the Republic of China should have a presidential system or a parliamentary system.
Foreign relations
1911-1949
The foreign relations of Republican China were complicated by a lack of internal unity. Competing centers of power all claimed legitimacy. There was also foreign interference and invasion. Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, and other major powers all made claims to various parts of China during this time. During the early years of the Republic, almost all foreign powers recognized the "warlord" government controlled by Yuan Shi-kai in Beijing as the legitimate government of China. In return for recognition, the Republic had to give up control of Outer Mongolia and Tibet. China would remain suzerain, but Russia would be allowed to influence Mongolia while the British would be allowed in Tibet. It was also this government that sent representatives to sign the
Treaty of Versailles over protests by students in the May Fourth Movement.
After the defeat of the
Beiyang government in Beijing by the Kuomintang and the purging of Communists from the party, the 1928
Nanjing Nationalist Government received widespread diplomatic recognition. This recognition lasted throughout the
Chinese Civil War and World War II . Having fought on the side of the Allied Powers during World War II, the Republic of China became one of the founding members of the UN and held one of the five permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
Despite Chiang's failures as an administrator and military strategist, he is today recognized for several diplomatic successes. In the 1930s, he was able to moderate Japanese advances by negotiating aid from Nazi Germany. Immediately prior to World War II, he was able to secure aid from his former patrons, the Soviets. During World War II and immediately afterwards, he was able to obtain large amounts of support from the US, including lend-lease supplies. Huge infusions of military assistance, equipment, advice, and cash continued even after he evacuated the KMT to Taiwan.
1949-present
After the KMT retreat to Taiwan, most countries, notably the countries in the Western bloc, continued to maintain relations with the
ROC government. Due to diplomatic pressure, recognition gradually eroded and many countries switched recognition to the
People's Republic of China in the 1970's. As result of this, the number of countries that currently maintain official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China has been reduced to the following twenty-four nations:
These 24 nations recognize the Republic of China as the sole and legitimate government of all of China. Therefore, they do not recognize the existence of the People's Republic of China.
The
People's Republic of China refuses to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes the Republic of China, and requires all nations that it has diplomatic relations with to make a statement recognizing its claims to
Taiwan. In practice most major nations maintain unofficial relations with the ROC and the statement required by the PRC is ambiguously worded. The ROC maintains unofficial relations with Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices or "Taipei Representative Offices" that take on most of the functions of an official embassy, such as issuing visas. Similarly, many nations maintain corresponding trade and economic offices in the ROC, such as the American Institute in Taiwan, which is the de facto embassy of the United States in the ROC.
The ROC was a founding member of the
United Nations and held China's seat on the
Security Council until 1971, when it was expelled by General Assembly Resolution 2758 and replaced in all UN organs with the PRC. Multiple attempts by the ROC to rejoin the UN have not made it past committee.
Besides the dispute with the PRC over the mainland, the ROC also has a controversial relationship with
Mongolia. Until 1945, the ROC claimed jurisdiction over Greater Mongolia, but under Soviet pressure, it recognized Mongolian independence. Shortly thereafter, it repudiated this recognition and continued to claim jurisdiction over Mongolia until recently. Since the late 1990s, the relationship with Mongolia has become a controversial topic. Any move to renounce sovereignty over Mongolia is controversial because the PRC claims that it is a prelude to
Taiwan independence.
The ROC is required to use the name
Chinese Taipei in many circumstances, due to the One-China Policy. Among organizations that have this requirement are international sports federations, including the International Olympic Committee.
On August 8, 2006, Taiwan's foreign minister James Huang confirmed that he visited the secretary-general of
Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in
Lebanon 
