The Republic of China was established in 1912 by Sun Yat-sen, a revolutionary leader who led the Chinese people in overthrowing the Qing dynasty.
Sun Yat-sen was born in 1866 in Guangdong Province in south China. His studies in medicine at Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese enabled him to study western political ideas, which put him on the path to becoming an influential figure in Chinese politics. In 1895, Sun founded the Revive China Society with members from across China and abroad, setting out to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and the Manchu rule that had been in place for more than two centuries.
In 1900, after a failed attempt to overthrow the government, Sun was forced to flee from Guangdong to Hong Kong. During his exile, Sun met with many world leaders, including U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, in an attempt to drum up support for his revolution.
In 1911, Sun again returned to China after an uprising in Wuhan that marked the start of the Xinhai Revolution. On October 10, 1911, Sun Yat-sen declared a provisional Republic of China in Nanjing. The Republic of China was then officially proclaimed on January 1, 1912.
Sun Yat-sen was elected as the first Provisional President of the Republic of China and set about introducing a new type of government which he called the ‘Three Principles of the People’. These principles included nationalism, democracy and social welfare. He also encouraged economic development and education and sought to end corruption and improve the relationships between China and its regional neighbours.
Despite Sun Yat-sen’s efforts, the Republic of China faced a number of challenges. The military and political authority of the central government were threatened by warlords and warring factions, and even the legitimacy of the republic was questioned by some. In 1928, the Nationalist Party (KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek took power and attempted to reunify China, which it achieved in 1949. By this time, Sun Yat-sen had passed away and Chiang Kai-shek had become the President of the Republic of China.
After years of civil war, the People’s Republic of China, led by Mao Zedong, was proclaimed on October 1, 1949, and the Republic of China government fled to Taiwan. Since then, the Republic of China has governed Taiwan and other islands, while the People’s Republic of China has governed mainland China.
Today, the Republic of China remains a democratic country in which citizens have the right to vote. It has a modern economy and is actively involved in international trade and diplomacy. Despite ongoing tensions between the two countries, both governments continue to pursue peaceful solutions to their differences.