BRIEF HISTORY OF TAIWAN

http://www.taiwannation.com.tw/english.htm

What China Said in Its White Paper 1993

Taiwan was known as Yizhou (barbarian’s island) or Liuqiu (Okinawa) in antiquities. Many
historical records and annals documented the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people in
earlier periods. References to this effect were to be found in ancient Chinese book written more
than 1,700 years ago and several others written in later times. Since early seventeenth century the
Chinese people began to step up the development of Taiwan. The numbers topped one hundred
thousand at the end of the century. By 1893 their population exceeded 2.54 million. That was a
25-fold increase in 200 years.

They brought in a more advanced mode of production and settled the whole length and
breadth of Taiwan. Thanks to the determined efforts and hard toil of the pioneers, the
development of the island as a whole greatly accelerated. This was the historical fact of how
Taiwan, like other parts of China, came to be opened up and settled by the Chinese people of
various nationalities. >From the very beginning the Taiwan society derived from the source of
Chinese cultural tradition. This basic fact had not changed even during the half century of
Japanese occupation. The history of Taiwan’s development is imbued with the blood, sweat, and
ingenuity of the Chinese people.

What Is The Truth

1. Taiwanese are of Taiwan origin, not Chinese.

More than 10,000 years ago, the ancestors of modern Taiwanese were found in Taiwan which at
that time was all mountain, so the Taiwanese ancestors are called mountain people. In the glacial
epoch, some of the ancestors were driven south by the cold weather via seabed (it was dry at that
time) to the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

About 7,000~8,000 years ago, the weather was warm again, the sea was full of water, with
ocean currents flowing from South-East Asia to Japan via Taiwan. Some of the ancestors were
drifted back to Taiwan, their homeland. Of course, many of them might carry the blood from
South-East Asia due to hybrid. These ancestors were called Plain People because the majority of
them lived in the plain areas after arriving in Taiwan.

In 1624, the Dutch invaded Taiwan, according to Dutch records, there were about 100,000
Taiwanese surrendered. In 1661, Koxinga took place of the Dutch, about 130,000~200,000
Taiwanese surrendered. Among them, there were 12,727 household units, about 40,000~60,000
Taiwanese were forced to be converted into the Han (the Chinese). These aboriginal were the
first ones who were forced to give up their Taiwanese nationalities. In 1683, Ching, the
Manchus, replaced Koxinga. In 1730, a report made by a general of Ching that surrendered
Taiwanese were at least 600,000.

In 1756, the annual report came out with 660,147 men and women surrendered, they were
aboriginal. In 1782 the population that surrendered was up to 912,900 and then 2.54 million in
1893. This 2.54 million was mentioned in the 1993 Chinese White Paper which treated them as
Chinese. This was totally wrong, they were of Taiwanese origin. They grew as time went by.
Their population was 6 million in 1943, and 21.5 million in 2000, among them, some are the
offspring of Dutch or Chinese hybrid.

The pure Chinese came in 1949~1954 period, when Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan with
0.94 million Chinese refugees, among them, only 0.21 million were female. Therefore, even if all
female Chinese refugees married with male refugees, they could only create 0.42 million pure
Chinese couples producing pure Chinese offspring, the rest 0.52 million had to look for
Taiwanese to marry, thus Taiwanese blood occupied more than half the so-called Chinese. The
population of Taiwan in 2000 is about 23 million, the pure Chinese are not more than 5%, about
95% of Taiwan’s population today carries aboriginal blood. Some have 100% aboriginal blood,
some have 10%, mostly have more than 50%.

2. The land of Taiwan was developed by Taiwanese not by Chinese.According to Ching

regulation, Chinese were not allowed to come to Taiwan freely. When they came to Taiwan, they
were not permitted to trespass the reserved areas, because, Ching reserved almost all of Taiwan
for the aboriginal. According to the government statistics, the total free area was only 71,150
hectares, which was less than 2 % of the area of Taiwan.

Further, the Chinese were not able to resist the diseases in Taiwan, 9 out of 10 died, according
to government records. Under such condition, Chinese dared not stay in the rural area. If they did
not stay in the country side, who would cultivate the land? Only Taiwanese!

3. What were the Chinese in Taiwan during the Ching Era?

The majority Chinese in Taiwan were rascals, being single through out their lives, according to
the government files. Most of them hide themselves in the urban area, lived on committing
crimes. When they passed away, nobody dared to bury them.

The Chinese who came to Taiwan to “cultivate” actually were to deprive not to cultivate.
They got the pieces of land by application. Through personal relations with the government
officials or by bribe, they got the permit to cultivate the land in the appointed areas, usually
hundreds or thousands hectares, a hectare is about 2.4 acres. It took at least 5 man/year to clear a
hectare, and took one man to do the farming year around. If the Chinese got a thousand-hectare
permit, they had to invite at least 1,000 tenants to rent, cultivate and do the farming. The profit
for these Chinese guys after paying taxes was US$300~400 per hectare per year. As said before,
the Chinese were not disease resisting, so most of the tenants were Taiwanese. Therefore, the
true picture was, Taiwanese cultivated and Chinese got the profit which could be amounted to
US$300,000~400,000 per year per person if the Chinese got the thousand-hectare permit.

4. The reason why Taiwanese are documented as Chinese.

Since 1624, Taiwan has being ruled by foreign regimes, such as, the Dutch, Koxinga, Ching,
Japan, the Republic of China. All of the regimes were trying to convert Taiwanese into their
nationals. Ching was successful, so the influence passed down to this day. When Ching occupied
Taiwan in 1683, it adopted a policy called “To Convert The Wild Barbarians into The Civilized
Barbarians” and then “To Convert The Civilized Barbarians into The Han (the Chinese).” The
contents of the policy included discriminative practices such as higher taxes, longer free
community services, unfair judicial judgements, for those resisting the conversion. No
Taiwanese could live without being converted into Chinese. In 1683, the Ching still documented
most Taiwanese as Wild Barbarians; in 1756, the status of the Taiwanese was changed to
Civilized Barbarians; in 1777, all became Chinese. These historical records also evidenced the
process of the compulsory conversion of Taiwanese into Chinese.

Since 1777, Taiwanese were documented as Chinese throughout the period of the Ching
occupation. In 1895 when Japanese came, they tried to convert Taiwanese into Japanese but
failed. In 1945, the Republic of China took advantage of the achievements of Ching policy,
documented Taiwanese as Chinese with no resist. So even today, the poor Taiwanese would
rather call themselves Chinese instead of aboriginal, since the term "aboriginal" implies wild or
civilized barbarians.

What China Said in Its One China White Paper 2000

The Chinese White Paper on Cross Strait Relations (issued on February 21, 2000)
stressed that Taiwan belonged to China on the following basis which are not true：
“I. The Basis for One China, de Facto and de Jure.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. All the facts and laws about Taiwan prove that
Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

In April 1895, through a war of aggression against China, Japan forced the Qing
(Ching) government to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki, and forcibly occupied
Taiwan. In July 1937, Japan launched an all-out war of aggression against China. In
December 1941, the Chinese government issued the Proclamation of China's
Declaration of War Against Japan, announcing to the world that all treaties,
agreements and contracts concerning Sino-Japanese relations, including the Treaty
of Shimonoseki, had been abrogated, and that China would recover Taiwan. In
December 1943, the Cairo Declaration was issued by the Chinese, U.S. and British
governments, stipulating that Japan should return to China all the territories it had
stolen from the Chinese, including Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu
Archipelago. The Potsdam Proclamation signed by China, the United States and
Britain in 1945 (later adhered to by the Soviet Union) stipulated that "The terms of
the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." In August of that year, Japan declared
surrender and promised in its instrument of surrender that it would faithfully fulfill
the obligations laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation. On October 25, 1945, the
Chinese government recovered Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago, resuming the
exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan.”

What Is The Truth

The Legal Status of Formosa (Taiwan) Is Independent

Historically, Taiwan belongs to Taiwanese people as said above, all regimes appeared
in the history of this island so far are predators.

Taiwan is neither a part of Qing or the Republic of China nor a part of Dutch or
Japan. Legally, Taiwan independence was determined in 1945 by the United Nations
by adopting Charters 77 and 76, which was signed by China and most of the states in
the world. The basic document China used to claim the title of Taiwan was the so-
called Cairo Declaration, but it was not signed. Even if it were singed, the phrase
“Formosa and the Pescadores shall be restored to the Republic of China” was
completely against the Atlantic Charter signed by China itself, So, both in history and
by law, China’s claims are void. That Taiwan is a part of China is nothing but an
excuse for China to invade Taiwan. All the legal documents and events related are
presented and summarized with comments below:

1. The Atlantic Charter(1941.8.14)：

a. First, the Charter announced that “ their countries seek no
aggrandizement, territorial or other.” China’s annexation of
Formosa (Taiwan) is obviously a territorial aggrandizement.
b. Second, the Charter said that “they declare to see no territorial
changes that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the
people concerned.” Therefore, should Formosa be “restored”
to China as China claimed, the people of Formosa should be
consulted, so far there is no such consultation made.
c.Third, “they respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of
government under which they will live, and they wish to see
sovereign rights and self-government restored to those who have
been forcibly deprived of them.” The so-called “restoration” of
Formosa to China does not respect the people of Formosa in the
sovereign right and the right of choosing government.
This Charter was endorsed by China in the “Declaration by the
United Nations” below.

2. Declaration by the United Nations (1942.1.1) declare “The Government

signatory ( U.S., U.K., Soviet Union, China ……etc. total 26 countries) hereto, having
subscribed to a common program of purposes and principles embodied in the Joint
Declaration of the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dated August 14, 1941,
known as the Atlantic Charter.” China is one of the signatories of the Declaration,
claiming the sovereign right of Formosa is a violation of the Charter per se.

3. The Cairo Conference (1943.11.22-26)：

Records kept by Chinese Government showed that President Roosevelt, Premier
Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek of China agreed that Japan should be stripped of all the
islands she had seized or occupied in the Pacific, including Formosa and the
Pescadores. The disposal of these islands was not determined at that time. The
phrase “Formosa and the Pescadores shall be restored to the Republic of China” on
the so-called Cairo Declaration was a unilateral request by Chiang Kai-shek, Churchill
rejected and substituted the phrase with “Formosa and the Pescadores should be
renounced by Japan” but Chiang insisted not to change, therefore the Declaration
was not signed. So, the common purpose of the Cairo Conference is to strip of
Japanese colonies (such as Formosa and the Pescadores) and occupations.

4.The Crimea (Yalta) Conference (1945. 2.4-11):

The future of Taiwan was partially determined in this Conference. Under the caption
“Territorial Trusteeship” of “World Organizations” of Protocol Proceedings it read
“its being made clear that territorial trusteeship will only apply to……(b) territories
detached from the enemy as a result of the present war.”
According to this agreement, Formosa, the Pescadores, and other Japanese colonies
should be placed under trusteeship after World War Two, because the Cairo
Conference decided to strip them off from Japan which constituted a “detach of the
colonies “from Japan.

5. Charter of the United Nations Article 77 (1945.6.26) confirmed Crimea

Agreement byregulating that “The trusteeship system shall apply to such territories
as…b. territories which may be detatched from enemy states as a result of the
Second World War.” This meant Taiwan should be put under trusteeship after the
War.

6.Charter of the United Nations Article 76 (1945.6.26) stipulated “the basic

objectivesof the trusteeship system ……shall be to promote political, economic,
social, and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the trust territories, and
their progressive development towards self-government and independence.” China
is to blame, since it is one of the signatories of the Charter, now back up from their
words pursuing imperialism.
However, in this article 76, it confirmed that Formosa was entitled to be an
independent state, and established the legal status for Taiwan.

7.Postdam Proclamation (1945.7.26). The article 8 of it read “The terms of the

Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to
the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we
determine.”Since the terms of the Cairo Declaration was to strip all Japanese
colonies such as Formosa and the Pescadores, and let them be detached from Japan,
therefore, to carry out these terms equals to declare Formosa independence,
according to Charters of the U.N. article 77 and 76 above.

8.Instrument of Surrender by Japan (1945.9.2)“accept the provisions set forth in

the declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States, China,
and Great Britain on 26 July 1945, at Potsdam, and subsequently adhered to by the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which four powers are hereafter referred to as
the Allied Powers.” By accepting the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan actually
announced Taiwan independence. Because the Proclamation requested Japan to
give up Formosa, and according to articles 77 and 76 of Charters of the U.N.,
territories detached from the enemy (Japan) should be placed under trusteeship and
then self-government and
independence.

9.San Francisco Peace Treaty with Japan (1951.9.8), article 2(b) read “Japan
renounces all right, title and claim to Formosa and the Pescadores.”This is the legal
confirmation of Formosa’s detach from Japan, and the Articles 76 & 77 of the
Charters of the United Nations are applicable to Taiwan and the status of Taiwan
should be independent, through Trusteeship and Self-government.

However, Chinese regime, the Republic of China, represented by Chiang Kai-shek

took advantage of the General Order No.1 of the Ally Commander unlawfully
occupied Taiwan while the Order only required him to accept the surrender of
Japanese troops in Taiwan. The Republic of China occupied Taiwan by force since
1945 and started the notorious 1947 Massacre getting rid of Taiwanese elite so that
nobody knew how to make petitions to the U.N. for independence, therefore the
Taiwan independence process was interrupted till now.

All U.N. members have the obligation to move to blame China for the aggression
and admit Taiwan, not the Republic of China, as a member of the United Nations. .

Dr. Sim Kiantek formerly was an Associate Professor of

National Taipei University

Taiwan before 1600

prehistoric period: Malayo-polynese tribes, ancestors of present-day aborigines, settle in Taiwan.

1387: the Penghu islands <澎湖列島> (also known as the "Pescadores" in the West) are incorporated into the
administrative system of the Chinese Ming dynasty.
 The Dutch East India Co. occupies the southwestern region of Taiwan in 1623

Dutch colonial period

1622: the Dutch "Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie" (VOC - United East India Co.) occupies the Penghu islands.

1623: the VOC gives up the Penghu islands and withdraws to the area around present day Tainan on Taiwan.

1626-1642: Spanish footholds in northern Taiwan (near present day Keelung and Tanshui).

1624-1644: first wave of Han Chinese settlers to Taiwan. Around A.D. 1650 population of about 100.000 Han
Chinese.

Reign of the Chinese Zheng clan

1644: The manchurian Qing dynasty is established in China (until 1911).

1649-1661: Struggle of Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong <鄭成功> against the Qing dynasty (also known by his
epithet "Guoxingye" <國姓爺>: "Lord of the imperial surname", transmogrified to "Koxinga" by the Dutch).

1661/62: Zheng withdraws to Taiwan and expels the Dutch. Beginning of systematic sinification of Taiwan: Han
Chinese peasants are encouraged to settle in Taiwan, agriculture and the administrative system are developed
following Chinese patterns.

1683: the regents of Zheng's grandson (13 yrs.) surrender to the Qing dynasty. Taiwan becomes a prefecture of
Fujian province <福建>, seat of government: "Taiwanfu" <臺灣府>, present day city of Tainan <台南>)

Taiwan under the reign of the Qing dynasty

1683-1895: Reign of the Qing dynasty in Taiwan. Rapid increase of Han Chinese population despite frequently
imposed immigration restrictions. Frequent armed conflicts settlers of different origin, between Chinese settlers and
the aborigines as well as the Chinese authorities.
1680: population of about 200.000 Han Chinese.

1810: population of about 2 million Han Chinese.

1858: ("unequal") Treaty of Tianjin: the ports of Taiwanfu (Tainan) in the South and und Tanshui <淡水> in the
North are opened to trade by the Wester colonial powers.

1884/85: due to the conflict with China about North-Vietnam, blockade of Taiwan and occupation of Jilong (at the
time: <雞籠> "Keelung") and Danshui by France.

1885: Taiwan acquires the status of a province of its own. The reform minded governor Liu Mingchuan <劉銘傳>
begins with the construction of modern infrastructure (fortifications, railway, navigation, telegraph, coal mining).
The provincial capital is moved from Tainan to Taipei.

Japanese colonial period

1895: as a result of the war about Korea, that China lost against Japan, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands are ceded to
Japan. Taiwan is conquered by the Japanese between May and October. Guerilla warfare continues until approx.
1915.

5-7/95: Asia's first Republic, the "Democratic Republic of Taiwan": "Taiwan minzhuguo" <台灣民主國>) is
proclaimed in an attempt by the Chinese ex-governor, to obtain support from the Western powers against the
Japanese.

1895-1945: Japanese colonial reign and complete isolation of Taiwan from China. Initially population of approx. 3
mill. Han Chinese (approx. 80% from Fujian province, 15% from Guangdong province). Period of rapid economic
construction: agriculture and forestry (sugar cane, rice, bananas, pineapple, wood, camphor), expansion of railway
lines, road netword, ports, containment of tropical diseases, construction of hydro-electric power plants and first
steps towards electrification.

1918-1934: (largely unsuccessful) "Petition movement" (following the examples of: Woodrow Wilson, Irish
struggle for liberation) for more autonomy and equality within the Japanese state.

beginning with the 1920's: limited education opportunities for Taiwanese

from 1934: in the course of Japanese expansionist policy, industries are further developed, especially to serve
military needss.

2nd World War:attempt at realising full Japanisation of the Han-Chinese population.

Taiwan under the governance of the "Kuomintang" <國民黨> (National People's

Party)

1943: Allied Cairo Declaration: after the end of the war, Taiwan and the Penghu-Islands (Pescadores) shall be
restored to the "Republic of China".

1945: the ruling party of China, the Kuomintang (KMT) takes over Taiwan after Japanese surrender and dispatches
General Chen Yi <陳儀> to be the provisional provincial governor. Han-population: around 6 million, Japanese are
repatriated (roughly 5% of the population).
beginning with February 28th, 1947: ignited by the"2.28 Incident" ("er-er-ba shijian" <二‧二八事件>) uprising
against govenor Chen Yi's discriminating and corrupt regime that seizes the entire island. Troop reinforcements
suppress the uprising with estimated more than 10,000 casualties (including a high proportion of the Taiwanese
elite).

1948/49: after being defeated in the civil war against the Communists, Taiwan becomes the last Retreat of the
KMT's "Republic of China" under Chiang Kai-shek <蔣介石>. More than 2 million refugees from the mainland.
State of emergency remains in force for decades.

1950s: Cold War and Period of "White Terror" against any kind of opposition.

about 1960-1980: Emergence of the Taiwanese Economic miracle.

1970s: through local elections and supplementary elections to the national bodies increasing room for manoeuvre for
the political opposition. Emergence of a "grey" market for critical media.

1971: the "representatives of Chiang Kai-shek" are excluded from the United Nations and the "People's Republic of
China" takes their seat.

1975: Death of Chiang Kai-shek. His successor is Vice President Yan Jiagan.

1978: Chiang Kai-shek's son Jiang Jingguo <蔣經國> becomes President.

Dec. 10th 1979: "Mei-li-tao"-Incident <美麗島> occurs on Human Rights' Day: brutal suppression of a
demonstration of supporters from the oppositional magazine of the same name that planned to establish an
opposition party.

from 1983: 3:the "Study society for public politics" ("gongzhenghui" <公政會>) starts to set up branch offices with
the ultimate goal to establish an opposition party.

Taiwan on the road to democracy

1986: coming under pressure from the increasingly strong opposition, Jiang Jingguo paves the way for a process of
liberalisation.

Sept. 28th, 1986: Founding of the oppositional "Democratic Progressive Party" (DPP) is tolerated by the KMT.

Febr. 28th, 1987: Commemorative demonstrations and beginning public debate on the 40th anniversary of the
uprising of Febr. 28th, 1947 ("2.28" <二‧二八>).

July 15th, 1987: State of emergency is lifted.

November 1987: first visits of relatives to China are permitted.

Jan. 1st, 1988: "newspaper ban" is lifted: newspapers may now be published with more pages, new newspapers can
be established.
January 1st, 1988: Death of President Chiang Ching-kuo. His successor is Vice President Li Teng-hui ("Li
Denghui" <李登輝>), a native Taiwanese.

November 1988: Beginning of "flexible foreign policy" ("tanxing waijiao" <彈性外交>, de facto abandonment of
the claim to sole representation of China.

January 1st, 1989: the establishment of new parties is officially permitted.

November 1989: during the election campaign slogans demandingi independence of Taiwan are tolerated for the
first time.

May 5th, 1990: President Li Teng-hui is reelected by the National Assembly (1st regular term of office).

June 28th - July 2nd, 1990: "Conference on National issues" ("Guo shi huiyi" <國是會議>: Round table of KMT
and DPP): it is decided to reelect the parliamentary bodies and to reform the constitution.

April 4th, 1991: "Provisionary regulations for the period of suppression of the [Communist] rebellion" (ie: unlimited
right of the president to issue emergency decrees) are lifted:

Dec. 12th, 1991: the National Assembly is reelected for the first time since 1948: KMT: 71.25, DPP: 24%.

Febr. 28th, 1992: basic decision is made to pay indemnifications to victims or their dependants of "Febr. 28th,
1947" and to erect a memorial in Taipei.

May 15th, 1992: after revision of §100 of the penal code most imprisoned dissidents are released, peaceful
advocation of Taiwan's independence is no longer prosecuted.

Summer 1992: first visits of scholars and journalists from China.

Oct. 10th, 1992: first National day without military parade.

Dec. 19th, 1992: the Parliament is reelected for the first time since 1948 ("Legislative Yuan": "Lifa-Yuan"
<立法院>): KMT: 53%, DPP: 31%.

April 27th - 29th, 1993: first semi-official negotiations between Taiwan and China in Singapore with the aim to
settle practical issues (illegal immigrants, smuggling, economic cooperation etc.)

June 9th, 1993: first efforts by the government to develop a strategy for Taiwan's reentry to the United Nations.

July 1993: direct flights between Germany and Taiwan.

Oct. 1993: 23 countries favour Taiwan's reentry to the United Nations in the general assembly.

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