It is an island, but at the same time it is much more. An intricate story of wars, diplomacy, and unconventional methods of dealing with conflict. We invite you to get to know Taiwan and the most striking curiosities of its relationship with China. Determining what is or is not a country is not so simple. Almost the entire international community considers Somalia to be. But in practice it does not control much of its territory. On the other side, in the Republic of China, as its formal name is, 23 million people live, it has authorities, laws, armed forces and exercises sovereignty over dozens of islands. But very few foreign states recognize it as such. In total there are almost 36,000 square kilometers, making it larger than Belgium and half that of Panama. The vast majority are located on the island of Taiwan, which is the largest and most relevant and which informally gives its name to the entire nation. The average distance from the mainland is 180 kilometers. There appears what we all usually call China on a daily basis. But, strictly speaking, the name of Taiwan is the Republic of China. And it is located opposite the People's Republic of China, the most populous country in the world. This rarity has been with us for more than 70 years. In the 1940s, nationalists and communists fought a civil war. Mao Zedong took up arms and established communism in the Asian giant. Chiang Kai-shek, the nationalist who had been the leader of China since 1927, had to take refuge after losing the war. Together with several of his followers, he went to the island of Taiwan, to regroup and with the hope of retaking control of the territory, but he would never achieve it. He not only claimed all of mainland China, but Mongolia as well, as he considered them to be historically part of the same entity. From then on, there were different clashes between nationalists and communists, who used different strategies. Some were conventional, like bombs being fired from both shores. But others were more striking. Like the so-called sonic warfare. The Beishan Relay Wall was built on the island of Quemoy. It was a 10-meter-high structure that housed 48 loudspeakers that had great power. Such was the force that the sound they emitted could be heard 25 kilometers away. From there it was transmitted throughout the day, without interruptions, for more than two decades. Taiwanese music was generally played, and it was a kind of psychological torture for the inhabitants of the coast. A nightmare was lived on both sides for years, since the sounds were constant and unbearable, which obviously affected the health of the inhabitants. In recent decades, with somewhat more relaxed relations, the area has been opened to the public and receives many curious tourists from the mainland. The point is that from that division, with communists on the continent and nationalists on the island, a great diplomatic battle began. Initially, most of the international community recognized Chiang Kai-shek and his regime as China's legitimate authorities. Little by little, however, most countries began to change their minds. With the economic takeoff of mainland China, more and more states recognized it. And, at the same time, they stopped accepting Taiwan. It is that in the country that Xi Jinping now governs, the policy of one China reigns. In other words, only one of the two countries can be recognized. If a state has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it does not have them with mainland China and vice versa. In 1971 a very relevant change took place. The UN recognized the People's Republic of China, which thereafter occupied a permanent seat on the Security Council. Until then, the Republic of China did it from the island of Taiwan. The same thing happened with many countries. At present, only these 14 states continue to recognize the government that is based in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Four are Latin American: Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras and Paraguay. In the last fifteen years, several Central American countries have changed their position: Nicaragua, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Costa Rica have established diplomatic relations with Beijing, mainland China. But there is a curiosity that we cannot ignore. It is that historically the island of Taiwan has also been known as Formosa. This is how the Portuguese explorers who spotted it in the 16th century called it. If we take a map and look at the antipode of Taiwan, we will have a surprise. The farthest place from this island is at this point, in South America. There we find ourselves in the north of Argentina, right in a province also called Formosa. Coincidence? Sure, but it's still eye-catching. And not only Taiwan has the Argentine province of Formosa as its antipode, but a part has Paraguay. It is the largest and most populous country that recognizes the ROC today. Over the years a close bond was forged between the two nations. Before, the anti-communism of its dictators Alfredo Stroessner and Chiang Kai-shek played an important role. But with the arrival of democracy in both places this was maintained. Leaders of both countries have crossed the globe to make official visits. For Paraguay it is a bet that has its reasons but also its costs. You cannot trade directly with China. This is a complication, since it is the world's fourth largest exporter of soybeans and eighth of beef, products required by the Asian giant. However, Paraguayan producers usually export to third countries, in a sort of triangulation to circumvent the restriction of direct trade with China. What Paraguay has suffered the most is that it does not have credits and investments from the most populous country in the world, as has happened with several of its neighbors. This Paraguayan policy could change in a short time. In April 2023 there will be presidential elections. The main opposition candidate, Efraín Alegre, promised that if he wins he will establish relations with the People's Republic of China. The official Santiago Peña, on the other hand, promised to continue along the current line. Taiwan puts a lot of resources and efforts to strengthen its diplomacy around the world as the tension with Beijing continues. Although since 1991 he officially abandoned his aspiration to retake control of the continent, his neighbors want de facto reunification. The law of the people's republic specifies that "there is only one China in the world," that "Taiwan is part of China," and that "the state will never allow secessionist forces to separate Taiwan from China." Strictly speaking, Taiwan never formally declared its independence, as this would provoke its neighbors on the mainland. Today it lives in this kind of limbo, of being a state that fulfills all its functions indoors, and that is also democratic and developed. But, at the same time, it is only recognized by a handful of countries and is under constant threat from China. Xi Jinping maintained that reunification cannot be left for future generations. And also that he does not rule out the use of force to achieve it. It is clear that the power of both places is very unequal. But the islanders rely on other issues. Like his alliance with the United States, a country it serves due to his confrontation with Beijing. And also the technological development achieved in Taiwan is key. State-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing has made countries around the world dependent on this island, including China. These elements are used in computers, airplanes, solar panels, and even medical instruments. Meanwhile, the island seeks to enter different international organizations as long as its neighbors allow it. But it cannot use the name Taiwan, since this would imply that it is an independent country, which China rejects. Instead, it is usually listed as Chinese Taipei. This is the case in the World Trade Organization. Or in the International Olympic Committee. Yes, we see the Taiwanese at the Olympics, and even winning medals. In your opinion, how will the conflict continue in the future? Will China invade the island? Leave your comment below. Don't forget that you can support Un Mundo Inmenso by buying our book, becoming a member or liking this video. See you next.
