Why Taiwan can't define as a 'country'?
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Because a country will not be a country if it declines to be one. In the 1970s, Taiwan has always attended UN meetings as a representative of China (the representative of China is now Beijing). Furthermore, to be a country, recognition is needed (the other criteria stated in the Montevideo Convention as having a defined territory, permanent population, a stable government, capacity to enter into foreign relations, self-determination), so as long as Taiwan lacks the recognition to be a state on its own, it will not be one.
882982
The United Nations is a giant "paper-tiger" that is "all looks and no substance". Ask Taiwan about how they aren't considered a sovereign nation because China doesn't want them to be..and how the U.N just plays along to not upset the big scary China! The United Nations are held very high on the limousine liberal scale because they share the same methods...\nTell it how it should be, while disregarding factual outcomes..because it is always better to be viewed as wanting to help then ever actually helping at all...\nSo, I say dont give the U.N. the satisfaction of wondering what they think...form your own opinion
237736
This is a very interesting topic. I'll contribute with a few of the things I have learned in my history studies.\n\nThe Qing dynasty was forced to cede Taiwan (along with certain other regions of mainland China) to Japan when Japan defeated China in a naval war in 1895. When the Japanese surrendered upon their defeat in 1945, control over Taiwan was assumed by the Chinese government currently recognized at that time: The Republic of China -a one-party state led by Chaing Kai-Shek.\n\nAt the time that Japan took over Taiwan, China was only beginning to bring Taiwan under effective central control, and Chinese control had certainly not penetrated very deeply into Taiwanese society. Although most Taiwanese at that time (as they still do today) certainly identified primarily with Chinese culture --but not necessarily a Chinese nation. Their identities were primarily local, and not national in the modern sense. That is, they did not consider themselves citizens of a Chinese nation. They identified primarily with clans, towns, and regions. The same can be said for most people in mainland China at that time. This was one of the main obstacles for leaders like Sun Yat-sen, Mao Zedong and Chian Kai-Shek. These local identities were an obstacle to overcome in their quest to make Chinese people feel part of a Chinese nation. \n\nAs a result of the (2) Opium Wars of the 1840s, China had already been forced to cede coastal territory to Britian, France and Germany. Being defeated by European powers was humiliating, but for cultural reasons, being defeated by Japan was even more humiliating for the Chinese. This was because Chinese considered their culture to be the superior culture in Asia, and being defeated by an inferior Asian culture was therefore more humiliating than being defaeted by a European power.\n\nJapanese took over administration of Taiwan and the other regions. For the first 30 years or so,  the Taiwanese and Chinese living under Japanese control weren't subjected to any greater degree of injustice or exploitation than they would have been under Chinese control. At that time, both China and Taiwan were still pre-modern feudal societies. During WW2, Japanese control became progressively more exploitative. \n\nJapan's war crimes against the civilian population of mainland China are well known. But in Taiwan --although Japanese administration was certainly unfair to Taiwanese-- there were relatively few cases of gross injustices. It was under Japaese control that Taiwan saw its first organized school system, first universities, first mechanized industries, and first railroads, among other modernizations. People were encouraged to learn Japanese, and learning Japanese was obligatory for schoolchildren. \n\nIn China, people have been educated for several generations to hate Japanese and see Japan as an enemy. Most Taiwanese, however, have an overwhelmingly positive opinion of Japan and Japanese culture. This is in large part because during the post-WW2 period, the enemy that Taiwanese were educated to fear was Communist China, so there was no particular reason for the government to encourage hate or fear of Japan.  Also, during this period, Taiwan and Japan developed along similar paths economically and culturaly, and were both open to Western investment and cultural influence. \n\nToday, both Taiwan and Japan have much more in common with each other than with the Peoples Repulic of China. Both are multi-party democracies with freedom of speech, freedom of the press, etc. Both have very open and vibrant civil societies. \n\nChina, unfortunately, is at least a generation behind in terms of cultural and political development.
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The sovereinty of Taiwan belongs to its 23 million citizens, just as in any open, modern, demcratic society. China does not control any aspect of life for the people of Taiwan, except in the fantasies of its leaders.\n\nI participated in a large march through Taipei yesterday, along with 170,000 other Taiwanese protesting China's threat to invade Taiwan if the democratically-elected government of Taiwan refuses to voluntarily surrender to the one-party authoritarian PRC government of China. The demo yesterday was called to mark the first anniversary of the passgae of China's so-called "anti-secession" law, which "authorized" the use of military force against Taiwan if China doesn't get its way. \n\nI hope that China's leaders are paying attention, and taking notice of how much Taiwanese enjoy demonstrating and protesting, and how serious they are about making sure their liberties are never taken away from them.\n\nYesterday's demo was the so-called pan-greens (the ruling DPP and the even more pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Party). Last week, the KMT (the pro-China opposition party) held a big demo.\n\nCan you imagine what would happen if 170,000 people marched together through the streets of Beijing? I can. Communist party leaders would call in the army to massacre the people as in 1989. Yesterday in Taiepei, not one demonstrator was hurt or arrested. Is it really so hard to understand why Taiwanese are opposed to being annexed by the repressive regime of a foreign country? \n\nI think some of the Chinese who post anti-Taiwan comments are people who deep-down would dearly love to enjoy the same liberties enjoyed today by Taiwanese, and the fact that they don't makes them bitter and jealous. They would rather see Taiwanese society brought down to the same level of misery as in China, than to see the society of Taiwan continue to develop in the direction of a modern democracy and open civil society. Instead of feeling bitter and jealous, try to see Taiwan as an example to follow. I think Communism teaches people that it's more fair for everybody to be poor and miserable, than for only some people to be poor. Maybe that same sort of philosophy is at work here- Chinese won't be happy until social development in Taiwan is reversed to the state of things in China.\n\nAm I wrong?\n\nP.S.\nThe 170,000 people in the march WEREN'T misguided youth. The interesting thing about demonstrations in Taiwan is that the vast majority of the people are in their 50s, 60s and 70s. Very different from N. America and Europe. I also saw old people who were obviously a lot older than that.
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Puerto Rico is a U.S. Commonwealth ("estado libre asociado" [free associate state]in Spanish).\n\nAs other answerers have already stated Taiwan split from communist China; however, China does not recognize Taiwan's independence and basically considers it to be a rogue province.
228889
well, koreans have receved brutal treatment from the japanese during the "occupation" and i don't think they are that ready to forgive.  you could research more unto the korean resistance and what the japanese have done.  also, both nations are very competetive in technology while taiwan is focused on investments and all that.
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Asia is a continent, comprised of many countries. Some of those are in the U.N. and others aren't.
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1. Countries Of The World\nEstimates of the number of countries in the world vary, depending on how a ‘country’ (‘nation’, ‘state’) is defined. At the beginning of 2004 there were 191 countries in the United Nations. A further three clearly independent countries do not have UN membership: Republic of China (Taiwan), Switzerland, Vatican City. Another seven claim independence, most having some degree of sovereignty - Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Abkhazia, Bougainville, Chechnya, Dniestria, and Sahara. Several other territories (eg Aruba, Greenland, Isle of Man) have some degree of identity, with their own flags, postage stamps, uniforms, etc, and there are many groups claiming territorial autonomy amidst conflict in various parts of the world (eg Nagorno Karabakh, Krajina, Kosovo). The situation continues to change, as fresh political realities emerge (eg in South Africa, Palestine, and former USSR and Yugoslavia).\n\nSource: Crystal Reference Encyclopedia, © Crystal Reference Systems Limited 2006\n2. Nationalism\nA political doctrine which views the nation as the principal unit of political organization. Underlying this is the assumption that human beings hold the characteristic of nationality, with which they identify culturally, economically, and politically. A primary aim of nationalists, therefore, is to secure the right to belong to an independent state based on a particular national grouping. Nationalism is thus associated with attempts by national groupings to secure independence from dominance by other nation-states and to maintain that position against threats to it. It is often associated with the struggle against colonialism. More broadly, nationalism can be seen as a general political stance which holds that the principal aim of political activity should be to serve the national interest as opposed to that of a particular class or grouping. In practice, the national interest is, except in extreme cases such as war, open to different interpretations, and nationalism is often no more than an attempt to give legitimacy to a particular political standpoint. Nationalism, with the exception of anti-colonial movements, is based around a conservative, and sometimes romantic political philosophy that emphasizes the nation's past.\nSelf-determination\nA doctrine dating back to the 18th-c that cultural communities and national groupings have the right to determine their own destiny, including political independence and the right to self-rule. The principle that each nation has the right to fashion its own state is incorporated in the United Nations Charter, and is a major plank in anti-colonialism\n\n4.no. vary....political, monarcy, communist, democration, regimist, etc\n5. money, egoisme, nationalisme, power\n6. look at United Nations (un) resource\nAn organization formed to maintain world peace and foster international co-operation, formally established on 24 October 1945 with 51 founder countries. Its permanent headquarters are in New York. The UN Charter, which was drafted during the war by the USA, UK, and USSR, remains virtually unaltered despite the growth in membership and activities. There are six ‘principal organs’. The General Assembly is the plenary body which controls much of the UN's work, supervises the subsidiary organs, sets priorities, and debates major issues of international affairs. The 15-member Security Council is dominated by the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, and USA) who each have the power of veto over any resolutions; the remaining 10 are elected for 2-year periods. The primary role of the Council is to maintain international peace and security; its decisions, unlike those of the General Assembly, are binding on all other members. It is empowered to order mandatory sanctions, call for ceasefires, and establish peacekeeping forces (these forces were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988). The use of the veto has prevented it from intervening in a number
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Taiwan and Tibet are only "part of China" if you believe the mythology and pseudo-history spread by the Chinese Communist Party. \n\nDoes China have some sacred "right" to control every region where people speak Chinese or identify themselves as ethically-Chinese? If so, then England can take "back" the USA, Canada, Austailia and New Zealand. Spain has a right to attack Mexico, Cuba, Texas, etc. Or?  \n\nConcerning Taiwan specifically, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has never at any time controlled Taiwan in any way or form. \n\nDuring the last decades of the last (Qing) imperial dynasty, the power of the central government was finally extended far enough to bring some degree of administrative control to some areas of Taiwan. That regime, however, was NOT the present PRC government, but rather the old, feudal regime that was overthrown in the 1911 revolution --a decade before the formation of the Chinese Communist party.\n\nSo, Taiwan may be said to have "belonged" in the past to the previous imperial Chinese regime, but to say that Taiwan today belongs to the PRC would be like saying Chechnya, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Lithuania and other (presently) independent nations "belong" to Russia, because the previous imperial Russian regime had at one time extended its control to those regions several generations ago.\n\nThe PRC devotes incredible economic and diplomatic resources to try to restrict Taiwan's international and diplomatic "space", and to spread misleading dis-information to the world and especially to its own citizens on the real issues. \n\nThe two major parties in the legislature are the DPP and the KMT. The KMT is the party of the late dictator Chiang Kai-Shek. They are trying to keep China happy, hoping it will give them advantages in the event that China gains control of Taiwan in the future. The DPP is by far the more patriotic and democratic of the two parties, and promotes the development of a Taiwan-centered national consciousness.\n\nTaiwan is now one of the most open societies in the world, and certainly in Asia. High standards of education, multi-party democracy, free press, freedom to protest. Taiwanese of all political strips enjoy protesting. I have attending quite a few very large street demonstrations in the last few years. Some of them are celebratory and some of them are the rowdy and angry kind, but all are peaceful and no one gets hurt. The police are there, not to hinder the demonstrations but only in case a fight breaks out, just as in Europe or USA.\n\nIs it this kind of freedom that PRC leaders are afraid might spread to China?
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192 independent countries are members of the U.N., but that doesn't include the Vatican City - which is technically a country - who have chosen not to join.\n\nThere are 192  different countries that the United States recognizes, but it gets tricky when you talk about Taiwan. There are those that would argue that Taiwan isn't really a coutnry (like China, who claims that it is a Chinese province). \n\nEven though Taiwan was a member of the U.N. up until 1971, it is not recognized as a country because of politcal reasons.  \n\nSo if you count Taiwan as a country (though it isn't internationally recognized as one) and the Vatican City, there would be 193.\n\nTo John C.: You have to remember that when you are counting countries, places that are governed by other countries, like Puerto Rico, the U.K., Bermuda, Palestine and others, don't count because they are actually provinces or colonies.
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It's a republic (form of government) that is an island (geographic formation).  It has no special meaning, aside from being a country that is completely surrounded by water and has an elected government.
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No, whether it's rich or poor across the strait, whether how the politics, culture or the ecomnomy develops across the strait, it is NO excuse of apart the China.\nI think in every country, for instance, in America, there are always disbalance in development of economy between so many states. But that can not be an excuse for secession.( I don't think a patriot america can agree with it).\nNowadays the East Germany and the West still has a distance in society advance, but they are one country!\nIn China there are cities such as Shanghai, Beijing or provinces like Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong which are well developed against the poor western-middle areas. Could they declare their independence?\nAnd in Hongkong, it is far developed than any other city in PR.China, it still belongs to China and, what's most, the taking over of Hongkong seems do not hurt its society prosperity.\n\nDo no show off Taiwan's well-off and slam the mainland's porverty, or democracy and dictatorship with them.(and the situations are changing...wake up from the dream and look forward pls.)  Maybe it's the status quo but they do have nothing to do with the excuse of splitting Taiwan for China!\nOnce and again and again, No one will hurt Taiwan or any other part on it's sociaty prosperity. on the contrary, the Chinese are striving to avoiding of hurting from some aggressive and ill-disposed countries, and from some ones in Taipei who don't think of the whole Chinese area with his brain but with his bigmouth.\n\nSee a democrative vote: how many counties on the earth agree that Taiwan is a country rather than a part of China? Less than 25(all little ones) That's all. Taiwan is not a county, pls don't dream on it.\nThe world are waiting for Taiwan, no, some extreme infantile taiwanese ,to learn how to tell his family, from to the pacific and the Japan sea.
358127
What else? Of coures it is a country. It has a government on all levels from national to regional. It has infrastructure, it has it’s own language, it has citizens devoted to their country ready to defend it with their very lives. It has a history that goes back over 3500 years. It also has it’s own unique culture, with art, music, literature and science.\nSo how could it NOT be a country???
812912
PEOPLE make a country, not a government
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Ok I wouldn't pay attention to the first answer if I were you.  "Acts of treason"???  I think your teacher would ask you to explain "WHAT acts of treason?"\n\nMany people living in Taiwan have ancestral roots in China.  However, Taiwan has its own government, own land, own flag, own culture, etc.  The people of Taiwan would like to define themselves as their own country.  They like their country the way it is and don't want another government "taking over" their land and their way of life.\n\nChina's view is that the majority of Taiwanese are originally from China, so Taiwan should be a part of China.  This is advantageous to China for imperialistic and economic reasons.  Having control of more land and people makes them a more powerful country, and the added benefit for them is that Taiwan is one of the more economically prosperous Asian countries.\n\nNow, the assignment also asks to explain the relationship?  In one word, "tense".  Part of it has to do with the 228 (February 28) massacres, when rising tensions resulted in the Chinese military killing many Taiwanese, targeting especially the educated (professors & students) since those were the main people organizing protests against the Chinese.  As you can expect, there is much resentment from the Taiwanese who survived the massacres.\n\nAdding to the tension were recent war games that China played around Taiwan's coast.  Taiwan's presidential elections were coming up, and China feared that Taiwan would elect someone they didn't like, so they sent war ships to circle Taiwan's coast in an attempt to scare the Taiwanese into voting for someone else.  It didn't work.  The US stepped in to tell China to stop threatening Taiwan, and the Taiwanese elected their president.\n\nThis should get you started on your paper.  You'll have to fill in the details doing your own research.  Be careful of the sources you use, because this is an issue that many Chinese and Taiwanese are passionate about, so you'll come across strongly-worded essays that may be misleading.  It can be confusing but I think your teacher just wants you to show that you have some idea of what's going on in that part of the world.  Good luck.
852388
193.  Although some consider Taiwan a country - that would make 194.\n\nSome of those listed at Wikipedia are commenwealths and territories and are not actual countries.  See source.
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the US isn't a state, it's a country