Taiwan

Tai means 'Platform' and wan means 'gulf'. The old name for Taiwan, Formosa, was given by the Portuguese, and it means 'beautiful' in their language. The use of the term 'Taiwan' by the Chinese dates from the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Taiwan became the base for the nationalist Republic of China when Chairman Mao defeated Chang Kaishek in 1949. Tensions between the 'People's Republic of China' and Taiwan have rumbled on ever since. China considering it a renegade province that belongs to China. Taiwan is financially and militarily backed by the United States.

230	Sun Quan, King of the State of Wu (in central China), sent a naval expedition to Taiwan.
1335	Bureau of survey and examination set up in Fujian Province to administer civil affairs in Taiwan.
1403-1424	Great Chinese explorer Zheng He stationed fleet in Taiwan during South East Asian voyages.
1624	Dutch first settled in Taiwan.
1642	Taiwan became a Dutch colony.
1661	Koxinga (Zheng Chengong) drove out the Dutch, re-establishing Chinese control over island.
1683	Qing (Manchu) armies conquered Taiwan (defeating Ming loyalist Zheng Keshuang, Koxinga's grandson).
1885	Taiwan became province of China.
1895	Taiwan ceded to Japan by Treaty of Shimonoseki.
1945	Japanese forces in Taiwan surrendered.
1949	Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi) fled to Taiwan after defeat in Civil War.
1950	President Truman ordered US Seventh Fleet to enter Taiwan Strait.
1954	Mutual Defence Pact between Nationalist government on Taiwan and USA signed.
1971	People's Republic of China joined the United Nations replacing the Taiwan representative
1975	Death of Chiang Kai-shek.
1978	Chiang Ching-kuo (Jiang Jingguo) became 'Premier'.
1979	USA established diplomatic relations with PRC, US Congress passed Taiwan Relations Act.
1984	Deng Xiaoping proposed 'one country, two systems' solution for settling problems of Hong Kong and Taiwan.
1988	Li Denghui became 'Premier'.