Circle the area on this map
B. The Republic of China (ROC) was established in 1912 after the last imperial dynasty lost power. But, the nation was torn by fighting warlords, the Japanese invasion and World War II. After the war, ROC forces lost the mainland to Communists who then established the Peoples Republic of China.
A. In 1945, the U.S. Navy ferried ROC troops to Taiwan in order to accept the formal surrender of Japanese military. Japan had ruled the island since it defeated China's Qing Dynasty in 1895.
D. The Taiwan Strait is part of the South China Sea which is part of the Pacific Ocean. The narrowest part of the strait is 81 miles wide. The ROC has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and the mainland but never attempted to retake lost territory. China, however, is actively demanding reunification with the island.
C. China has the world's second largest economy, but it also has the largest population. Its per person GDP is $9,100 compared with Taiwan's $38,400 per person. Until now, China and Taiwan met only through unofficial organizations which arranged trade between the two sides.