Taiwan’s history spans European colonization, Qing incorporation, five decades of Japanese rule and the post‑1949 separation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (in Taiwan). Taiwan transitioned from KMT martial law (1949–1987) to a vibrant democracy with its first direct presidential election in 1996 and a peaceful transfer of power in 2000. Cross‑strait relations have alternated between cautious engagement (the 1992 talks) and sharp confrontations, including the 1995–96 missile tests and major Chinese drills after Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 visit and in December 2025.
Key Dates in Taiwan’s History: From Colonization to Modern Cross-Strait Tensions
People visit the night market in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
As China staged live-fire military drills around Taiwan involving aircraft, warships and rocket launches, Beijing’s foreign minister reiterated the goal of achieving “complete reunification” with the island Beijing claims as its own. Taipei rejects those claims, saying Taiwan in its current constitutional and political form has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Beijing: “Complete reunification” remains an objective.
Taipei: Taiwan asserts its separate constitutional and political identity.
1600s–1885: European Colonization and Qing Incorporation
In the 17th century, Dutch and Spanish colonizers vied for control of the subtropical island known then as Formosa, home to Indigenous peoples and Han Chinese migrants. The Dutch East India Company established a base near today’s Tainan in the south, while the Spanish built forts in the north. The Dutch expelled the Spanish but were defeated in 1662 by Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong), a military leader loyal to the Ming dynasty.
In 1684 the Qing dynasty incorporated the island into Fujian province. By 1885 Taiwan was elevated to a separate Chinese province governed by Han Chinese officials.
1895–1945: Japanese Rule
Following the First Sino-Japanese War, the Qing court ceded Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan in 1895. Taiwan remained under Japanese colonial rule for roughly five decades, a period that had profound economic, social and political effects.
1945–1949: Transfer to the Republic of China
Japan surrendered at the end of World War II in 1945, and the island came under the administration of the Republic of China (ROC), then governed by the Kuomintang (KMT) from Nanjing. The ROC’s authority on the island was established amid continuing civil conflict on the Chinese mainland between the KMT and the Communists.
1949: KMT Retreat and Two Chinas
After defeat on the mainland, more than one million people — including soldiers, officials and civilians — relocated with the KMT to Taiwan as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was proclaimed on the mainland. Chiang Kai-shek continued to lead the ROC government from the island; the KMT long maintained that the ROC was the legitimate government of all China.
1949–1987: Martial Law and the White Terror
The KMT governed Taiwan under martial law from 1949 until 1987. Known as the White Terror, this period was marked by political repression, persecution of perceived Communist sympathizers and limits on civil liberties.
1979: U.S. Policy Shift and the Taiwan Relations Act
In January 1979 the United States established formal diplomatic relations with the PRC and ended official recognition of the ROC. Later that year, in April, the U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, which created a framework for unofficial relations and committed the U.S. to help Taiwan maintain its self-defense capabilities.
1992–1996: Cross-Strait Talks and Democratic Milestones
In 1992 Taiwanese and Chinese representatives met in Hong Kong and described a vague understanding that came to be called the “1992 Consensus” — an agreement interpreted differently by each side that there is one China. The early 1990s also saw important democratic reforms and elections in Taiwan, culminating in the island’s first direct presidential election in 1996, a major step in its transition to full democracy.
1995–1996: Missile Tests and Rising Tensions
China launched a series of missile tests and military demonstrations near Taiwan in 1995–96 after then-President Lee Teng-hui accepted a U.S. invitation to speak at Cornell University and made comments that angered Beijing. The tests were intended as a show of force and contributed to heightened cross-strait tensions.
2000: First Peaceful Transfer of Power
In 2000 Taiwan experienced its first peaceful transfer of presidential power when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s Chen Shui-bian was elected, ending half a century of uninterrupted KMT rule. Except for two terms under KMT president Ma Ying-jeou, the DPP has been the dominant political force since.
2022–2025: High-Profile Visits and Military Drills
In August 2022, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan — the highest-ranking U.S. official to do so in 25 years — and met with President Tsai Ing-wen. China responded with its largest-ever military drills around the island, including ballistic missile launches into the sea. Following that visit, Beijing stepped up military patrols and demonstrations near Taiwan.
In December 2025, according to reports, China conducted two days of additional military exercises around Taiwan, citing provocations including comments by Japan’s prime minister and planned U.S. arms sales to Taipei. These episodes illustrate how historical claims, domestic politics and international involvement continue to shape cross-strait tensions.
Why This Matters
Taiwan’s history — from 17th-century colonial contests to 20th-century occupation and the island’s democratic transition — underpins today’s geopolitical friction. The interplay of historical claims, national identities and foreign policies makes Taiwan a focal point of regional and global security concerns.
