I need to emphasize first that during this past century, at no time did Taiwan ever belong to China, not to mention the People's Republic of China. Japan ruled Taiwan for 50 years, from 1895 to 1945. After that not a single treaty specified to whom Taiwan should be turned over by Japan, whose rule, though, was specifically terminated. General Douglas MacArthur authorized Chiang Kai-shek's troop to occupy the island for the time being, and by default it turned into Chiang's only and permanent refuge when he was defeated by the communists and driven out of China in 1949.

     This Chinese Civil War has long ended and today's Taiwan really has had nothing to do with that Chinese internal conflict, and should not be viewed as if it is still involved in it. Taiwan was just an accidental bystander that got tangled up in it.

     The occupation of Taiwan by this same regime continued to this day, and China has still never set a foot on Taiwan's soil, exercised any control whatsoever, or taxed or contributed and money. Just because Chian Kai-shek, who alleged himself to be China's ruler at one time, happened to escape to Taiwan, whose legal status was never defined, it didn't make Taiwan a legal part of China as China now claims.

     In hindsight, China might have had a chance to secure Taiwan if the Korean War had never occurred, as the U.S. had already issued a China policy white paper writing off Chiang as a viable and justifiable ally. By the same token, if General MacArthur hadn't authorized Chiang to occupy Taiwan, who knows what would have happened to Taiwan. All we know is that fortunately, an economically thriving and politically democratic Taiwan, a full-fledged sovereign state, has emerged from the ashes of history and persevered independently from any outside control.

     So for 40 long years, Taiwan was insulated from China, from 1949 until 1987, when the travel ban to China was finally lifted, China continues to insist that Taiwan is part of China, a province whose authority is a local government, and swears to use military force to unify it if necessary. On the other hand, the Taiwanese people consider themselves an accidental and innocent victim of the Chinese War, are proud of their prosperous sovereign state, and object to being swallowed up and interfered with in their efforts to gain sympathy and support from the world community.