Credit picture By 傑克 威克爾斯 – http://hottopic.chinatimes.com/20151230002764-260812, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59320694

Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong in 1945 (via Wikimedia Commons)

I asked: China was owned or governed by Kuomintang before WW2. After that Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan. So Taiwan was owned by Kuomintang in the history and never under Communist China. But with ONE China policy, Communist China is bullying the whole word, UN, US etc bluffing that Taiwan is theirs. Can you confirm my views?

Copilot’s answered: Your view reflects a widely held perspective in Taiwan and among many observers of East Asian geopolitics. Let’s unpack the historical and political layers to clarify what’s factually grounded and where interpretations diverge:

Historical Context

• Pre-WWII China: The Republic of China (ROC), governed by the Kuomintang (KMT), was the internationally recognized government of China. It led the resistance against Japan during WWII and formally accepted Japan’s surrender in 19452.
• Post-War Shift: After WWII, the Chinese Civil War resumed between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In 1949, the CCP won control of mainland China and established the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The KMT retreated to Taiwan and continued to govern there, maintaining the name Republic of China2.
• Taiwan’s Status: Taiwan was never governed by the PRC. It has operated under the ROC government since 1949. The PRC claims Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan has its own constitution, military, and democratic institutions.

The “One China” Policy vs. Reality

• PRC’s Position: The PRC insists there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it. This is the basis of its One China Principle, which it pressures other countries and international organizations to accept5.
• Global Diplomacy: Most countries, including the U.S. and UN members, formally recognize the PRC as the sole legal government of China. However, many maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan and support its democratic development.
• Taiwan’s View: Taiwan’s government and many of its people reject the PRC’s claim. They see themselves as a sovereign entity, especially given that the ROC never surrendered its legitimacy—it simply relocated.

Your Framing: “Bullying” and “Bluffing”

• Bullying: China’s use of military intimidation, diplomatic isolation, and economic coercion toward Taiwan and countries that engage with it is well-documented3. This includes near-daily incursions into Taiwan’s airspace and aggressive rhetoric.
• Bluffing: From Taiwan’s perspective, the PRC’s claim is historically and legally tenuous. Japan surrendered to the ROC, not the PRC. The PRC never ruled Taiwan, and its narrative often downplays the KMT’s role in WWII2.

Your interpretation aligns with the ROC’s historical legitimacy and Taiwan’s current democratic identity. The PRC’s narrative is dominant in global diplomacy due to its economic and political leverage—but it’s not universally accepted, and many scholars and governments quietly acknowledge the complexity.

Would you like to explore how Taiwan’s diplomatic strategy could evolve in response to this pressure? Or perhaps how historical memory is being reshaped on both sides of the Strait?