China views Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to "unify" the democratically-governed island with the mainland, using force if necessary. Tensions between the two sides are running high.
Taiwan is investing heavily in its militaryImage: Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMAPRESS.com/picture alliance
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Tensions between China and Taiwan have been rising in recent years driven by differences over the island's status.
Any military clash over Taiwan could also drag in the United States, given Washington's special ties to Taipei.
Here's a look at what the conflict is all about.
How did it start?
China and Taiwan have been separated since 1949, when the Chinese civil war ended with the victory of the Communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong. The defeated Nationalists, led by Mao's archrival and chief of the Kuomintang (KMT) party Chiang Kai-shek, retreated to Taiwan.
Taiwan, which has been governed independently since then, is officially known as the Republic of China while the mainland is called the People's Republic of China.
The island is separated from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait. It has a democratically elected government and is home to around 23 million people.
For over seven decades, Beijing has continued to view Taiwan as a Chinese province and vows to "unify" it with the mainland.
What is Taiwan's international status?
Beijing's stance is that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan is part of it.
China pressures countries worldwide to switch their allegiance to Beijing and cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
At present, only 14 countries maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan: China's next target?
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Taipei is also not a member in agencies of the United Nations, although it holds membership of organizations like the Asian Development Bank and the World Trade Organization.
China also puts pressure on companies worldwide to list Taiwan as a part of China.
Governments and firms that do not toe Beijing's line on the issue risk backlash from the Chinese government.
For almost three decades after the Communist government came to power in mainland China, the United States recognized Taipei as the government of all China.
But in 1979, Washington revoked its diplomatic ties and its mutual defense treaty with Taiwan and established formal diplomatic relations with mainland China.
Despite the shift, Washington has maintained close unofficial ties with Taipei.
It continues to sell military gear to Taiwan for self-defense, even though Beijing has repeatedly warned the US not to do so. US Navy warships also regularly sail through the Taiwan Strait to project American military power in the region.
The US says its goal is to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. To this end, it wants to maintain the status quo.
Under President Donald Trump, the US deepened military ties with Taiwan and increased arms deliveries, selling over $18 billion worth of weapons to the island.
Chinese President Xi recently called for a "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, prompting criticism from Taipei. What is the "Taiwan issue" all about? DW explores the history of the conflict through these photographs.
Image: AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Recapturing vs. liberation
After the end of WWII, the Communist Party of China (CPC) under Mao Zedong pursued a fierce battle against his archrival Chiang Kai-shek, chief of the Kuomintang (KMT) party. Chiang lost and took refuge in the island of Taiwan. For some time after that, Taiwan was the center of propaganda from both sides. The CPC wanted to "liberate" Taiwan, while Kuomintang wanted to "recapture the mainland."
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Letters to 'compatriots'
In the 1950s, the CPC published four "Messages to Chinese compatriots" in Taiwan, which are considered the basis of Beijing's Taiwan policy. In these texts, Beijing warned Taiwan of collaborating with US "imperialists." Military confrontation, particularly artillery attacks, also continued during this time.
Image: Imago/Zuma/Keystone
Beijing replaces Taipei in UN bodies
In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly declared that the People's Republic of China was the sole lawful representative of the country. With this decision, the Republic of China (ROC)/Taiwan was removed from all UN bodies. The frustration of ROC's foreign minister, Chow Shu-kai (right), and his ambassador Liu Chieh is easy to see in this picture.
Image: Imago/ZUMA/Keystone
New Taiwan policy
The fifth and last "message" from Beijing to Taiwan was published on January 1, 1979. The mainland, under the leadership of the reformist Deng Xiaoping ended military operations, announced the development of bilateral ties and promised peaceful reunification. However, Beijing's right to represent China internationally was not to be questioned.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/UPI
'One China' policy
The new orientation of China's Taiwan policy took place as Washington and Beijing got closer. On January 1, 1979, the US and China resumed diplomatic relations, with Washington under President Jimmy Carter recognizing Beijing as the sole legitimate government of the whole of China. The US embassy in Taiwan was remodeled into an institute for culture.
Image: AFP/AFP/Getty Images
'One China, two systems'
Even before meeting US President Carter, Deng Xiaoping had introduced the principle of "one country, two systems," which allowed Taiwan to maintain its social systems even after reunification. However, Taiwan's President Chiang Ching-Kuo did not immediately fall for it. On the contrary, in 1987 he formulated the principle of "one China for the better system."
Image: picture-alliance/Everett Collection
The independence movement
In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan's first opposition party, was founded. At a meeting in 1991, the DPP declared a clause for Taiwan's independence, which stipulated that Taiwan was sovereign and not a part of China.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Yeh
'Consensus of 1992'
In unofficial Hong Kong talks in 1992, representatives of Taipei and Beijing reached a political agreement on the nature of their relationship. Both parties agreed that there was only one China. However, they had different views on what "One China" meant. A year later, the chief negotiators Wang (left) and Koo met in Singapore.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Bilateral relations
In an interview with DW in 1995, the first democratically elected President of Taiwan and the KMT leader Lee Teng-hui said that all relations beyond the straits of Taiwan would be "defined as relations between states; at the very least, as a relationship of a special kind between states." His formulation was very close to being a declaration of independence.
Image: Academia Historica Taiwan
'A state on every side'
The DPP won the presidential election for the first time in 2000 with Chen Shui-bian, a Taiwanese-born politician who had no connections to mainland China, calling for "a state on each side." It meant that Taiwan should have nothing to do with China anymore. In 2005, Beijing reacted with the Anti-Secession Law, which allowed the use of military force in the event that Taiwan declared independence.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/Jerome Favre
'One China, different interpretations'
After losing the elections in 2000, the KMT adopted a changed formulation of the "Consensus of 1992" in the party's statute, which called for "one China, different interpretations." That is why the 1992 Consensus is still debated in Taiwan. The reason: the negotiators of 1992 did not have an official position.
Image: Imago/ZumaPress
CPC meets KMT
The mainland adopted the "Consensus of 1992" as a political basis for creating a relationship with Taiwan. In the first summit between the two sides since the communists came to power in China, Hu Jintao (right) and Lian Zhan endorsed the "Consensus of 1992" and the "One China" principle.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Reynolds
'The direction is correct'
After KMT's Ma Ying-Jeou won the 2008 presidential elections, both sides continued to come closer. In an interview with DW in 2009, Ma said: "The straits of Taiwan should be a place of peace and security. We have come a lot closer to this goal. Basically our direction is correct."
Image: GIO
Quo vadis?
After the elections in 2016, when President Tsai Ing-wen came to power, the independence movement gained a lot of wind. Tsai disputed the existence of the 1992 consensus and described the "attempt of China to interfere in the political and social development of Taiwan" as the "biggest challenge."
Image: ROC
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Could China go to war over Taiwan?
Beijing hasn't ruled out using force to pursue reunification of Taiwan with China.
In a major speech in January 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for reunification and said that the status quo could not continue forever.
"We make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means," he said at the time.
Xi has also stressed that the reunification is essential for the realization of the "Chinese dream" of restoring the country's great-power status in the world by 2049.
What's the current state of cross-strait relations?
Cross-strait tensions have escalated since the election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016.
Under Tsai, the movement to formally declare independence has gained momentum in Taiwan.
The president's Democratic Progressive Party favors independence for the island.
Tsai disputed the existence of the 1992 consensus, a political agreement reached by representatives of Taipei and Beijing on the nature of their relationship. Both parties agreed that there was only "one China," although they had different views on what that meant.
Tsai and the DPP have also increased defense spending, with a record budget of nearly $17 billion (€16.7 billion) for 2022.
On Tuesday, Tsai boarded a naval warship for only the second time in her six years in office, where she lauded the military's determination to defend the island while overseeing its largest annual naval and air exercises.
The drills, which simulate the repulsion of an invading force, are part of efforts to boost combat preparedness in the face of rising military pressure from China.
When asked about the drills, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian repeated China's warnings about any military moves by Taiwan, Reuters reported.
"Taiwan's attempt to confront China militarily is akin to a mantis trying to obstruct a chariot," he said. "In the end, it is doomed to fail."
