Republic of China

The Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: ????; Simplified Chinese: ????; Wade-Giles: Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo², Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó, Hanyu Pinyin: Zh?nghuá Mínguó, Taiwanese POJ: Tiong-hoâ Bîn-kok) is a multiparty democratic state that today is composed of the island groups of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Quemoy, and Matsu. In English, as in Chinese, the name "Taiwan" is often used synonymously with the modern Republic of China, while the term "China" usually refers to the People's Republic of China (PRC), or mainland China with or without Hong Kong and Macau.

Military

Main article: Military of the Republic of China

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Military of the Republic of China on the Mainland

The historic Republic of China army was mainly used to maintain the national unity of China. To this end, it initially fought against the warlords that had fractured China, successfully unifying China, and later against the army of the Communist party. It also fought against Japanese invasion during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931/1937-1945), which became a part of the larger World War II. Leadership of the military during this time empowered political leadership.

Related Topics:
Second Sino-Japanese War - World War II

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Military of the Republic of China on Taiwan

Today, the Republic of China on Taiwan maintains a large military establishment, mainly as defense against invasion by the People's Republic of China, which is seen as the predominant threat and which has not renounced the use of force against the ROC. From its retreat from mainland China in 1949 until the 1970s, the military's primary mission had been to "retake the mainland." Given its current mission of defense against invasion, the ROC military has begun to shift emphasis from the traditionally dominant army to the air force and navy. Control of the armed forces has also passed into the hands of the civilian government.

Related Topics:
Mainland China - 1970s - Army - Air force - Navy

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The ROC's armed forces number approximately 300,000, with nominal reserves totaling 3,870,000. The ROC begun its implementation of a force reduction program to scale down its military from a level of 430,000 in the 1990s, and is drawing to a close by 2005. Conscription remains universal for qualified males reaching age 18, but as a part of the reduction effort many are redirected to government agencies or defense related industries. Current plans call for a transition to a predominantly professional army over the next decade, while conscription will be limited to a period of 3 months.

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The armed forces primary concern at this time is the possibility of an attack by the PRC, consisting of a naval blockade, airborne assault and/or missile bombardment. The Ministry of National Defense planned to purchase diesel-powered submarines and Patriot anti-missile batteries from the United States to counter the recent threat, but its budget has been stalled by the opposition Pan-Blue Coalition as of 2005. A significant amount of military hardware has been bought from the United States, and continues to be legally guaranteed today by the Taiwan Relations Act. In the past, the ROC has also purchased hardware from France and the Netherlands.

Related Topics:
Pan-Blue Coalition - 2005 - United States - Taiwan Relations Act - France - Netherlands

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