A panorama of the China-Taiwan conflict: What is the latest situation in the crisis?

Melik ÇELİK-12punto.com.tr

Taiwan is heading to the polls on January 13 with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Kuomintang (KMT), the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and the New Party.

Lai Ching-te (William Lai), the current Vice President of Taiwan and the presidential candidate for the DPP, appears to be ahead of his rivals in the polls. 

William Lai is also known for his anti-China rhetoric in the China-Taiwan crisis. In a statement on December 24, Lai said that China and Taiwan are "not subordinate to each other."

HOW DID THE CHINA-TAIWAN CRISIS BEGIN?

Taiwan is located 200 kilometers off the southeast coast of China. This island nation is home to 20 million people. 

The island was a Dutch colony between 1624 and 1661, and in 1683, the Qing Dynasty took control of the island. Taiwan subsequently passed under Japanese control in 1895 following the First Sino-Japanese War. 

In 1927, a civil war broke out in China between the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) forces led by Chiang Kai-shek, who were in government, and the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Zedong. 

The war erupted when Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek launched a campaign against the communists. 

The civil war paused when Japan invaded China during World War II. 

Following Japan's defeat in World War II and its withdrawal from China, the war between the Kuomintang forces and the Chinese Communist Party resumed. 

The communists won in 1949 and took control in Beijing. 

Chiang Kai-shek and the remnants of the nationalist party known as the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan. From there, Chiang Kai-shek declared that the Republic of China (1911-1949) had moved to Taipei. 

The Beijing government's attacks did not stop after the war. The conflict between the parties subsided with the death of Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek in 1975 and Mao Zedong in 1976. 

THE "ONE CHINA" PROJECT AND THE ROLE OF THE US

Taiwan, which defines itself as an independent state, is not recognized by the UN. 

The fact that 95 percent of Taiwan's population is Han Chinese constitutes one of the important pillars of the Beijing administration's "One China" principle. 

During the Cold War, Taiwan held a strategically important position for the US in its struggle against communism due to its location relative to China, Korea, and Vietnam. 

In 1971, US President Nixon recognized the "One China" policy with his visit to China. However, he continued to maintain relations with Taiwan. With Joe Biden becoming US President, historical tensions have increased once again. 

China has conducted military exercises that violate Taiwan's territorial waters. The fact that the Beijing administration appointed an Admiral as defense minister for the first time on December 29, 2023, led everyone to wonder if Taiwan would be invaded. 

Maritime traffic from the Pacific passes through the Taiwan Strait, located between the Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan. Furthermore, energy and trade networks heading to the Far East and Asia also pass through this strait. 

Taiwan is seen as an important point for the US in its economic competition with China and its hegemony in the Pacific.

TAIWAN'S PLACE IN THE WORLD ECONOMY

Taiwan also holds a significant position among world economies. While the per capita national income under the Taipei administration is at the level of 33 thousand 775 dollars, the country is among the world's largest producers of computer and telephone microchips, especially in the field of digital technology.

TURKEY'S POSITION

Turkey is among the countries that do not recognize Taiwan. 

However, Turkey has significant commercial relations with both countries. While Turkey's bilateral trade volume with Taiwan is 1.5 billion dollars, it reached 3.6 billion dollars with China. 

Experts believe that if China were to attack Taiwan, a global chip crisis would occur.