Cross-Strait relations

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Taiwan Strait

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Cross-Strait Relations, or Relations across the Taiwan Strait, deals with the complex relationship and interactions between mainland China (which sits on the west of Taiwan Strait) and Taiwan (which is located in the east of the Strait). Prior to 1949, the cross-Strait relations was simple. During the Qing Dynasty (1684–1895) or early post-WWII years (1945–1949), the two parts are nothing more than subnational divisions of a single country; and during Taiwan's Japanese colonial period (1895–1945), the two sides held ordinary international relations. However, following the defeat in 1949 of the Kuomintang (KMT) by the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Mainland, the People's Republic of China was founded in Beijing by the Communist government, and the government of the original Republic of China was forced to retreat to Taipei.

Since then, the two sides have entered a period of disputed status over the legal status of Taiwan where neither "one China" proponents (PRC and ROC) have recognised sovereignty of each other's governments over Taiwan, and advocates of Taiwan independence also oppose Chinese sovereignty. The PRC government has claimed Taiwan as a renegade province and many countries have shifted alliances from the ROC to the PRC since 1945. 24 nations still recognise ROC statehold and maintain official diplomatic relations with the ROC government.

The politically correct term "cross-Strait relations" was adopted so that the relationship between mainland China and Taiwan would not be referred as "China-Taiwan relations" or "PRC-ROC relations". The latter terms, implying the sovereignty of both countries, are seen as inappropriate primarily by citizens and political supporters of the PRC who consider Taiwan a renegade province of China.