Taiwan

[ tahy-wahn ]

noun

, Wade-Giles, Pinyin.

1. an island separated from the southeast coast of China by the Taiwan Strait: a possession of Japan 1895–1945; restored to China 1945; seat of the Republic of China since 1949. : Taipei.

Taiwan

/ ˈtaɪˈwɑːn /

noun

1. an island in SE Asia between the East China Sea and the South China Sea, off the SE coast of the People's Republic of China: the principal territory of the Republic of China; claimed by the People's Republic of China since its political separation from mainland China in the late 1940s. Pop: 23 299 716 (2013 est) Former nameFormosa

Taiwan

1. Island nation in the Pacific Ocean near the mainland of southern China ; seat of the Republic of China . Its capital and largest city is Taipei .

Notes

With its first free elections in the 1990s, Taiwan has become a democracy . Its economy is among the strongest in the world.

The United States long supported the Nationalists but broke relations in 1979 to establish relations with the People's Republic of China .

China refuses to accept Taiwan's independence as a nation, viewing it instead as merely a renegade province of China. This issue continues to complicate relations between the United States and China.

When the Chinese communists came to power on the mainland, the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek and some of his army took refuge on Taiwan.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Taiwan¹

First recorded in 1920–25; from Chinese (Mandarin) Táiwān

Example Sentences

The oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of southern Asia and neighboring islands, including Sri Lanka and Taiwan, and it has invaded other areas, most notably Africa and Hawaii.

From Los Angeles Times

With his criminal convictions and defense of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, the former president loomed large as a divisive political figure in Taiwan, Chao said.

From Los Angeles Times

The US has maintained military assistance for self-ruled Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control.

From BBC

Speaking to reporters, Taiwan's National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said: "On relations across the Taiwan Strait, we believe that the US will continue its current approach of constraining China and being friendly to Taiwan."

From BBC

The former president's more isolationist stance on foreign policy has also raised questions about his willingness to defend Taiwan against potential aggression from China.

From BBC