The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China, and the Island Caught Between

The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China, and the Island Caught Between by Sulmaan Wasif Khan

Taiwan has been caught in battle among various superpowers. For most of the history it was an independent island, not part of China. During the Qing dynasty, it was a Chinese colony. Then it became occupied by Japan. After Japan lost World War II things got weird. China claimed it. When the communists were at the point of defeating the nationalists, Taiwan was claimed as the nationalists stronghold. It claimed to rule over all of China. The United States became involved. There were many points where things could have turned out differently. It could have been fully independent or it could have been part of a "one country many systems" set up. The US continues to support Taiwan, even though it recognizes mainland China as the legitimate country.  China thinks of Taiwan as a part of China, while Taiwanese are conflicted on whether they want full independence or association with China. However, much of the decision is outside of their control with two world powers desiring to show their influence.