【明報專訊】Following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist government (中華民國政府), then led by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), announced today in 1949 it would retreat to Taiwan. That began the era of two governments across the Taiwan Strait (台灣海峽). This situation has persisted unto this day.

The Chinese Civil War and its aftermath

Soon after China's victory in World War II in 1945, the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT, 國民黨) and the Communist Party of China (CPC, 中國共產黨) came into armed conflict again. The CPC won three decisive battles: Liaoshen (遼瀋戰役), Huaihai (淮海戰役) and Pingjin (平津戰役). The KMT government retreated to Taiwan in 1949.

The government in Taiwan remained recognised internationally as the legitimate government of China until 1971, when the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (聯合國大會2758號決議) was adopted. It was resolved that the People's Republic of China be regarded as "the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations" and that "the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek be expelled from the place unlawfully occupied by them at the United Nations."

◆Cross-Strait Relations

Relations between the Beijing government and the Taipei government are a complicated matter. They are affected by a number of issues.

1. The 1992 consensus (九二共識)

The term refers to what came of a meeting held in November 1992 between semi-official representatives of the mainland and Taiwan. The so-called consensus is that both Beijing and Taipei should acknowledge there is only "one China", but they may differ as to what that means. Both the Beijing authorities and the KMT recognise the 1992 consensus.

Politicians across the Taiwan Strait adopt different positions on the consensus. Eric Chu (朱立倫), who is now chairman of the KMT as well as its candidate in next year's presidential election, says it will harm cross-strait relations not to recognising the 1992 consensus, and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has said the next president of Taiwan ought to accept the 1992 consensus.

On the other hand, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the presidential candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), has not directly commented on the 1992 consensus. She has, however, proposed that the 1992 consensus be replaced by a "Taiwan Consensus" (a consensus among the people of Taiwan).

2. Public opinion in Taiwan

Public opinion in Taiwan is an important factor in cross-strait relations. It is clear from recent opinion polls that the majority of Taiwanese people want cross-strait relations to remain forever as they are, though there is a growing tide in favour of Taiwan's independence. Those who want Taiwan to be reunified with the mainland are in the minority.

3. Economic cooperation between

Taiwan and the mainland

Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is now president of Taiwan, signed a deal of economic cooperation with the Beijing authorities during his first presidency. The deal, called Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA, 海峽兩岸經濟合作架構協議), was ratified by the Legislative Yuan (立法院) in 2010. However, the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA, 海峽兩岸服務貿易協議), an agreement derived from the ECFA, has aroused angry opposition from Taiwanese people. They are worried that the deal may weaken Taiwan's autonomy and make it more economically and politically reliant on the mainland. In March 2014 a group of students stormed into the Legislative Yuan. They occupied the place for almost a month. The event is known as the Sunflower Student Movement (太陽花學運).