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- What's the difference between the ROC and the PRC?
In 1949, the central government of the Republic of China (ROC) relocated to Taiwan when the Chinese Communist Party established the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland. Since then, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been governed separately. The communist authorities rule China from Beijing, and a popularly elected government administers the Taiwan area from Taipei.
The Chinese authorities insist on maintaining their communist dictatorship, and refuse to renounce the use of military force against Taiwan. The people of Taiwan enjoy an affluent lifestyle in an economically and politically free society.
- How have exchanges between Taiwan and China expanded over
the last decade?
Unofficial cross-strait exchanges in almost all areas have increased over the past decade. In 2001, over three million people from Taiwan visited China and over 17,000 PRC visitors came to Taiwan for cultural and educational exchanges. Starting from December 2001, the government allowed journalists from China to be stationed in Taiwan, and tourists from China began visiting Taiwan in January 2002.
Economic ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have also grown considerably over the past decade. The value of two-way trade amounted to US$27.85 billion in 2001, of which 78.8 percent (US$21.95 billion) were Taiwan exports to China and 21.2 percent (US$5.9 billion) were imports from China, making China the largest source of Taiwan's trade surplus.
The "Three Small Links"--covering direct transportation,
postal, and trade links between China and Taiwan's offshore
islands of Kinmen and Matsu--began on January 1, 2001. The
"Three Small Links" are expected to foster official direct
links between Taiwan and China in the near future.
- Has Taiwan's China policy changed now that a DPP president is in office?
Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party won the March 18, 2000, presidential election. In his May 20 inaugural address, he pledged that as the directly elected tenth-term president of the Republic of China, he would abide by the Constitution; maintain the sovereignty, dignity, and security of the country; and ensure the well being of all citizens. Therefore, so long as Beijing does not use military force against Taiwan, he pledged that, during his term in office, he would not declare independence, change the national title, push for the inclusion of the so-called "state-to-state" description in the
Constitution, nor promote a referendum to change the status quo on the question of independence or unification.
Since then, relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have remained stable. Cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges continue to increase, and the new administration has made consistent efforts to resume talks with China. In January 2001, President Chen authorized the "Three Small Links" (see question 2 above) in August 2001, the administration allowed local enterprises more freedom to pursue business in China by adopting a more open policy of "dynamic liberalization with effective management" to replace the former policy of "patience over haste."
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