1683 - China's Qing Dynasty added
Taiwan, which was earlier divided
between native kingdoms and Chinese
and European settlers, mostly the Dutch.
1895 – China surrenders Taiwan among
other territories to Japan after losing
the First Sino-Japanese War.
1942 - Chinese Kuomintang government
renounces all treaties with Japan and
demands the return of Taiwan as part
of any post-war settlement, which is
inscribed by the Allies in the Cairo
Declaration the following year.
1945 - The Allies place Taiwan under
Chinese administrative control
after Japan surrenders.
1947 - Discontent with manipulated rule
by Kuomintang mainlanders boils over
in 228 Incident. Chinese authorities urge
martial law, kill large numbers of protesters
demanding free elections and clean
government, and ban thousands of others
from political activity.
1949 - Communist victory in Chinese
Civil War leads to removal of Kuomintang
government to Taiwan, along with about
two million refugees. Mainlanders
dominate island until the end of
martial law in 1987.
1971 - UN identify Communist China
as unique government of whole country
after veteran Kuomintang leader Chiang
Kai-shek refuses dual-representation deal.
People's Republic takes over China's
UN Security Council seat.
1975 - Chiang Kai-shek dies. His son
Chiang Ching-kuo begins a policy of
liberalization, including the advancement
of more native Taiwanese to power of authority.
1988 - Chiang dies. His chosen successor
, Taiwan-born Lee Teng-hui, begins
'Taiwanisation' policy to disrupt many
structures left over from 1949 and relaxes
restrictions on language and culture.
2001 April - US says it will go ahead with
sales of submarines, warships and anti-submarine
aircraft, but not the solicit naval combat radar
system Aegis. China protests and President
George W Bush promises to help Taiwan
should China occupy.
Detailed events
In July of 2008, President Ma apologized to the people for all the fatal and unbearable
things that he did to the people. This period of time was known as the white terror and
took place in the 1950s to the 60s. This violence began when the martial law was made
by the Kuomintang party after its leaders fled to the island in 1949 at the end of the
Chinese civil war.
In November of 2008, the highest-ranking Chinese visit to Taiwan after more than half a
century. This visit of Chen Yunlin was met with protests by pro-independence
supporters. Former President Chen Shui-bian arrested and charged with money and
bribery. Mr. Chen declared that the allegations were politically motivated.
In July of 2009, leaders of China and Taiwan sent messages for the first time in more
than 60 years, as a sign of trying to improve their relationship with one another.
In January of 2013, Japan sends back a small Taiwanese boat from East China Sea
islands declaring by China and Taiwan. The row has affected the relationship
between Tokyo and Beijing in a harmful way. Four Taiwanese coastguard vessels
guided the boat. The islands are called Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyutai in Taiwan
and Diaoyu in China.
In August 2014 Many people are killed and hundreds are injured after a gas leak that
caused huge explosions in Taiwan's second largest city, Kaohsiung. Chang Jia-juch, the
director of the Central Disaster Emergency Operation Center, said the leaking gas was
likely to be propene, which means that the resulting fires could not be extinguished by
water. He said emergency workers needed to wait until the gas was burnt away.
