Taiwan
Constitutional Background
The Constitution of Taiwan was amended in July 1997. The changes have not yet been included in the ICL edition.
The 10 additional articles from 22 April 1991 and 8 additional articles from 27 May 1992 were replaced by 10 additional articles from 28 July 1994.
Taiwan-China relations dominate the political life. The US supported Taiwan against China after 1949, but in 1971 accepted replacement of Taiwan by China in the UN and switched their formal recognition from Taiwan to China in 1978. US military protection is guaranteed by the Taiwan Relations Act which carries the force of a simple law in the US. In 1995, Taiwan had diplomatic contact with 30 states and close relations with 140 countries; it also pursued a simple status request in the UN which China cannot veto in the security council.
History and News
- March 1996: First direct presidential elections.
- July 1995: China conducts threatening M-9 missile tests near Taiwan's coasts.
- 20 June 1995, Prague: Czec Republic's President Havel and Czec Prime Minister Klaus received Taiwanese Prime Minister Lien Chan during his "inofficial" visit at Pragues University.
- June 1995, Syracuse, New York: President Lee Teng-hui (KMT) is being received by US-Senators during the "private" visit of his alma mater Cornell University. China recalls embassador Li Daoyu from his post in Washington and claims recompensation.
- Jan 1995, Bejing: Chinese leader Jiang Zemin laid out his eight points plan for better relations with Taiwan and invited President Lee Teng-hui to visit China "in an appropriate capacity."
- 1971: After gradually having lost support from all their important allies, Taiwan looses its seat in the UN.
- 1955, Bandung (Indonesia): Taiwanese Agents try to assassinate Chinese Prime Minister Tschou En-lai on his way to the International Conference of Independent States.
- 1949: Chiang Kai-shek looses the civil war and is driven to Taiwan; he remains committed to the ideal of Chinese reunification.
- 1945: Japan surrenders.
- 1943: The Cairo Declaration assigns Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist China sovereignty over Taiwan after the Japanese surrender.
- 8 May 1895: China (Qing dinasty) cedes the Formosa Island to the Japanese in the Shimonosheki treaty.
- 1887: Taiwan's status is upgraded to a full province of China.
- 1683: Mainland China seizes control over Taiwan from Koxinga's son.
- 1662: The Dutch loose control of Taiwan when the half-Japanese general Koxinga fled there with the military remnants of the Ming dynasty.
- 1623: After the talks in Fujian, China assignes Taiwan to the Dutch as a trading post equaling Protugal's Macau.