Relations started improving in the 1980s as Taiwan relaxed rules on visits to and investment in China. In 1991, the ROC 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.
Taiwan rejected the offer, leading Beijing to insist the Taiwan’s ROC government was illegitimate – but unofficial representatives from China and Taiwan still held limited talks.
Then in 2000, Taiwan elected Chen Shui-bian as president, much to Beijing’s alarm.
Chen and his party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had openly backed Taiwan “independence”.
A year after Chen was re-elected in 2004, China passed a so-called anti-secession law, declaring China’s right to use “non-peaceful means” against Taiwan if it tried to “secede” from China.
Chen was later succeeded by the KMT, which favours closer relations with the PRC.
In 2016, Tsai Ing-wen, from the DPP, was elected to the presidency. Under her, cross-strait relations have soured. China also cut off official communications with Taiwan after Ms Tsai took over, saying it was because of her refusal to endorse the concept of a single Chinese nation.
Tsai has never said she will formally declare Taiwan’s independence, insisting that it is already independent.
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