Taiwan
Taiwan, 1945 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Republic of China, controlled by Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang (KMT), assumed control following the surrender of Japan in World War II. With the loss of mainland China to the Communists in the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China moved to Taiwan in 1949. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy, with democratically elected presidents beginning in 1996. The political and international status of Taiwan is contentious.
Seat of power: Taipei
Rulers
Chiang Kai-shek
President of the Republic of China, 1943–1975
As the de facto leader of the Republic of China (ROC), he ruled the country through World War II and oversaw the relocation of its government to Taiwan following defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Martial law was instituted to continue the war against the People's Republic of China and used to suppress political opposition to the KMT. The marginalization of benshengren led to the February 28 incident, an anti-government uprising that the ROC violently suppressed; up to 30,000 Taiwanese intellectuals, activists, and suspected KMT opponents were killed or disappeared.
Portrait of Chiang Kai-shek: Unknown photographer, Attribution, file
Li Tsung-jen
President of the Republic of China, 1949–1950
Li Zongren was a Chinese warlord, military commander and politician. He was vice-president and acting president of the Republic of China under the 1947 Constitution. Chiang resigned the next year, on 21 January 1949, as a response to several serious Chinese Communist victories in northern China, and Li became the acting president the next day.
Portrait of Li Tsung-jen: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Yen Hsi-shan
Head of state, 1949–1950
Yan Xishan was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China from June 1949 to March 1950 as its last premier in mainland China and first premier in Taiwan. He effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War.
Portrait of Yen Hsi-shan: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Yen Chia-kan
President of the Republic of China, 1975–1978
Yen Chia-kan was the 2nd president of the Republic of China from 1975 to 1978. As the first civilian President of the Republic of China, he implemented many reforms including the shift from using Literary Chinese to the written vernacular in government documents and successfully responded to the 1973 oil crisis.
Portrait of Yen Chia-kan: 行政院, Attribution, file
Chiang Ching-kuo
President of the Republic of China, 1978–1988
Chiang Ching-kuo served as the president of the Republic of China from 1978 until his death in 1988, and acted as a de facto leader of the country by serving as Premier from 1972 to 1978. On 15 July 1987, Chiang finally ended martial law in Taiwan and allowed Taiwanese citizens to visit separated families in mainland China.
Portrait of Chiang Ching-kuo: 總統府, Attribution, file
Lee Teng-hui
President of the Republic of China, 1988–2000
Lee Teng-hui served as the fourth president of the Republic of China and chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He was the first president to be born in Taiwan, the last to be indirectly elected, and the first to be directly elected. During his presidency, Lee oversaw the end of martial law in Taiwan and led reforms to democratize the Republic of China.
Portrait of Lee Teng-hui: 國史館, Attribution, file
Chen Shui-bian
President of the Republic of China, 2000–2008
Chen Shui-bian served as the fifth president of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), ending the Kuomintang's (KMT) 55 years of continuous rule in Taiwan. Chen was arrested in November 2008 on charges of corruption and sentenced to life imprisonment before being commuted to 20 years imprisonment.
Portrait of Chen Shui-bian: 總統府, Attribution, file
Ma Ying-jeou
President of the Republic of China, 2008–2016
Ma Ying-jeou served as the sixth president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Ma's presidency was defined by closer cross-strait relations with mainland China. He initiated a series of cross-strait summits (2008-2015), was elected again as party chairman in 2009, and signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 2010.
Portrait of Ma Ying-jeou: Office of the President of the Republic of China via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attribution, file
Tsai Ing-wen
President of the Republic of China, 2016–2024
Tsai Ing-wen served as the 7th president of the Republic of China from 2016 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), she was the first woman to serve in the office.
Portrait of Tsai Ing-wen: Office of the President of the Republic of China, Attribution, file
Lai Ching-te
President of the Republic of China, 2024 to today
Lai Ching-te has served as the 8th president of the Republic of China since 2024. He took office as president on 20 May 2024. He was the first mayor of Tainan from 2010 to 2017 and the 26th premier of the Republic of China from 2017 to 2019.
Portrait of Lai Ching-te: 總統府, Attribution, file
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Culture
- Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years.
- Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago.
- From the early 1960s, Taiwan saw rapid economic growth and industrialization known as the Taiwan Miracle.
Picture
Taipei 101 is a 101-story skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, that was officially classified as the world's tallest building from its opening on 31 December 2004 until 2009.
Image: Taipei Financial Center Corporation, Public domain, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.