The Ups and Downs Of the China Taiwan Conflicts

China warns Taiwan independence would trigger war - BBC News 2020 until 2022 has becoming some of the worst years for this world to experienced, the never ending nightmare between China and Taiwan has getting worse. 

The diplomatic conflicts between both of this country has been far more worse and is expected to have a global impact.

12 April 2022, there have been 25 Chinese military jets penetrated Taiwan's defense zone. On 5 October 2021. Tsai Ing-Wen the president of Taiwan has giving a warned to China for secretly attacking Taiwan and having an incursion to the country.

 Tsai Ing-Wen also having a press conference about the warned of grave consequences if Taiwan fell to China. President Tsai Ing-wen also  warned the world that there would be "catastrophic" consequences if Taiwan fell back into Chinese hands.

"They should remember that if Taiwan falls, the consequences will be disastrous for the region's peace and democratic system" said Tsai Ing-Wen in Forreign Affairs, as quoted by Reuters, Tuesday (5/10).

Tsai Ing-Wen also emphasized that Taiwan does not want a military confrontation. They just want to have a peaceful, stable, and mutually beneficial relationship. 

"However, if our democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself," Said Tsai  On CNN World (2022). 

She also wrote, "Amid the almost daily harassment from the Chinese army, our position on cross-strait relations remains the same: Taiwan will not bow to pressure, but neither will we be reckless despite the support of the international community."

The conflicts between the two countries allegedly due to the diplomatic problems, Taiwan wants the independence democratically and has it's own sovereignty. But China does not allow it, because China thinks that Taiwan is the part of mainland China. 

The never ending conflicts between these country has been happening since around 1945, one of the biggest tragedy that happened was the 228 Incident in 28 February 1947. 

This incident was marked by the random arrests and killings of Taiwanese civilians who the Nationalist army deems to be intruders.

On October 1949 in Beijing the communist forces that led by Mao Zedong, eventually managed to defeat the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) that commanded by Chiang Kai-shek in the civil war this incident was also known as the Chinese Communist Revolution or Xinhai Revolution. 

After being defeated by the Chinese Communist Party that led by Mao Zedong, they are forced to retreat and managed to escaped to the Taiwan Island. In December 1949, Taiwan formed their own government in Taipei and cut off contact with mainland China.

 Taiwan even maintains diplomatic relations with the United States. After Taiwan succeeded in becoming an ally and made a substantial agreement  but also nondiplomatic with the United States in 1950. 

Taiwan that is still at war with the Chinese Communists in Korea on diplomatic regocnition. Was assisted by the United States by deploying a fleet in the Taiwan Strait to protect it's ally from possible mainland Chinese attacks. 

Even though Taiwan has formed their own government in Taipei and trying to reach United States as their ally, the Chinese Communist still not recognizing the sovereignty of taiwan itself. And even still thinks that Taiwan is a rebel that trying to break away.

There is disagreement and confusion about what Taiwan is. It has its own constitution, democratically-elected leaders, and about 300,000 active troops in its armed forces.

Chiang's ROC government-in-exile at first claimed to represent the whole of China, which it intended to re-occupy. It held China's seat on the United Nations Security Council and was recognised by many Western nations as the only Chinese government.

But by the 1970s some countries began to argue that the Taipei government could no longer be considered a genuine representative of the hundreds of millions of people living in mainland China.

Then in 1971, the UN switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing and the ROC government was forced out. In 1978, China also began opening up its economy. 

Recognising opportunities for trade and the need to develop relations, the US formally established diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1979.

Since then the number of countries that recognise the ROC government diplomatically has fallen drastically to about 15.

Is This the Rise Of Taiwan As A Sovereign Country ?

1947 was one of the worst year that Taiwan has ever had, the revolution incident has forces Taiwan to standalone and formed it is own sovereignty. 

After all, Taiwan managed to rised up and even being far more better than before. The cooperation between Taiwan and United States has bring Taiwan into faces a new world, but the US has never considered Taiwan to be part of China. 

According to the US, Taiwan is Taiwan, which is as a political economy and socio-cultural system that cannot be equated with China. But the relationship and support from US to Taiwan has made it better, even Taiwan was involved in the diplomatic organization the United Nations or as we usually known as PBB.  

In October 1971, Beijing took over China's seat at the United Nations, that previously held by Taipei, and In 1979, the United States established diplomatic relations with China but was also committed to assisting Taiwan's defense from any attempted attacks on Taiwan. The United States also supports the "One China Policy"

 it is a policy with Beijing as the legitimate government, but maintains trade and military ties with Taipei.

In brief, simply the United States is admits that there is only one country that is China. So even US was assisting Taiwan on defense, but they don't admit Taiwan as a standalone country.

A Fragile Reconciliation

By the end of 1987, theTaiwanese were finally allowed to visit China again for the first time. This is actually a pretty wholesome moments that made many separated families could finally be reunited again. 

This also increasing the trade because China has finally open the borders to Taiwan.  

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Relations started improving in the 1980s as Taiwan relaxed rules on visits to and investment in China. In 1991, it proclaimed that the war with the People's Republic of China was over.

China proposed the so-called "one country, two systems" option, which it said would allow Taiwan significant autonomy if it agreed to come under Beijing's control. 

This system underpinned Hong Kong's return to China in 1997 and the manner in which it was governed until recently, when Beijing has sought to increase its influence.

In 1991, Taiwan lifted the emergency rule, unilaterally ending a state of war with China. The first direct talks between the two sides were held in Singapore two years later. But suddenly, 

in 1995, Beijing suspended talks in protest at the visit of Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to the United States. 

Then in 2000, Taiwan elected Chen Shui-bian as president, much to Beijing's alarm. Mr Chen and his party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had openly backed "independence".

A year after Mr Chen was re-elected in 2004, China passed a so-called anti-secession law, stating China's right to use "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan if it tried to "secede" from China.

Mr Chen was succeeded by the KMT's Ma Ying-jeou in 2008 who tried improving relations through economic agreements.

This is one of the moment when the reconciliation that have been built by Taiwan, is now being endangered again. While throwing back In 1996, when China doing a test of missiles at Taiwan to scare the voters in Taiwan's first democratic presidential election

Surely this is an act of violation that has been committed by China.

Tensions over Taiwan are spiking over a visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi - and this has only further strained relations between Washington and Beijing.

At the heart of the divide is that the Chinese government sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will, eventually, be part of the country.

But many Taiwanese people consider their self-ruled island to be distinct - whether or not independence is ever officially declared.

In 2008, Taiwan and China resumed high-level talks after Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT was elected as a president that being friendly to Beijing. In 2010, they signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, and in 2014 was held the first government-togovernment talks since the split.

 And in 2015, the leaders of the two sides finally met in Singapore, shook hands and waved enthusiastically to the press, but did not issue a joint statement.            

                                                                                         

The End of Good Relations and The Emergence of New Tensions

In January 2016, opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen of the traditionally pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party has won the presidential election. 

On her inauguration day in May, China was giving a warned to Taiwan that peace would be impossible if she made the move to formally secede from China. In June, China suspended all communications with Taiwan after the island's new government did not recognize the "one China Policy" concept. 

And in December 2016, president-elect Donald Trump that has been elect as the United States president, broke through decades of US diplomatic policy by speaking face-to-face on the phone with the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

 In 2017, the Trump administration approved a US$1.3 billion (now Rp 18.6 trillion) arms sale to Taiwan. 

In March 2018, the United States adopted a law strengthening ties with Taiwan. This act of United States has angered the Chinese government, 

because China felt like being played by the US by breaking the diplomatic agreement between US and Taiwan but still assisting Taiwan in the defense and arms sale.

Washington's long-standing policy has been one of "strategic ambiguity" to the extent that it would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan.

Officially, it sticks to the "One-China" policy, which recognises only one Chinese government - in Beijing - and has formal ties with Beijing rather than Taipei. But it has also pledged to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons and stressed that any attack by China would cause "grave concern".

In May 2022, President Joe Biden replied in the affirmative when asked whether the US would defend Taiwan militarily. Soon after, the White House quickly clarified that the US position on Taiwan had not changed and reiterated its commitment to the "One-China" policy. 

It has similarly contradicted previous statements by Mr Biden on military support for Taiwan.

The issue of Taiwan has also strained relations between the US and China. Beijing has condemned any perceived support from Washington for Taipei 

 and has responded by stepping up incursions of military jets into Taiwan's air defence zone since Mr Biden's election.

On that occasion, Joseph also said that Taiwan asked for Australia's assistance to enhance defense cooperation and exchange of intelligence against China. 

"We want to work together in the area of defense or exchange intelligence with like-minded partners, including Australia, so that Taiwan can be better prepared to face a war situation," said Joseph.

The Secret War Has Finally Begin

On October 7, 2021, the Pentagon said, US special operations forces had been secretly training Taiwan troops for months. Furthermore, on October 9, 2021. Xi Jinping said that peaceful reunification with Taiwan would and could be realized if Taiwan stands still

Then October 27, 2021, Beijing said Taiwan had no right to join the UN. Then on 28 October 2021, Tsai Ing-wen confirmed for the first time since 1979 that a small number of US troops were present in Taiwan to assist with training,

 this is actually a good beginning for Taiwan to increase their military cooperation with the United States. But suddenly on the exact same day, China heard the news and vehemently opposes military relations between America and Taiwan. 

On 2 August 2022 , after days of speculation and stern warnings from Beijing about unspecified "consequences," US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan during a tour of Asia. The US official is the highest-profile to have visited the island in 25 years, and said his visit demonstrated his country's "steadfast commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy". 

China vowed furiously to "punish" and launched it's biggest military exercise in the region, surrounding Taiwan on Aug. 4, 2022. The military exercises include the deployment of fighter jets and warships, as well as the firing of the Ballistic Missiles.

The latest developments in the conflict between China and Taiwan are currently attracting worldwide attention. The intrusion of China's warplanes is a strong signal from China that it does not hesitate to use its military power to impose Taiwan's reunification as an inseparable part of China. 

Taiwan also has a strategic relationship with the US, which can involve US in PRC-Taiwan conflict.

CNN Indonesia (2021), Presiden Tsai Ing-wen: Malapetaka Jika Taiwan Jatuh ke China, accessed on 16 October 2022.

BBC News (2022), What's Behind the Tensions Between China - Taiwan

Irpan Maulana (2022), United States Intervention if the People's Republic of China Invades Taiwan