Taiwan is first inhabited by Austronesian People. Beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th Century), a great number of Han Chinese starts to immigrate to the Taiwan. In the year 1644, the Manchus overthrew the Ming Dynasty and created the Qing Dynasty. In 1683, Taiwan came under the administration of the Qing Dynasty.

The first time that Japanese Invasion of Taiwan took place in 1874. Japanese government claim that 54 Ryukyuan people were murdered by the Indigenous people in the southern tip of Taiwan. Ryukyuan was at the time was not part of Japan but was its own kingdom. The following year, Japan put close attention to build up connection with Ryukyuan Kingdom and give the King of Ryukyuan a royal position in Japan, and claim to other countries that Ryukyuan is part of Japan. By doing so gives Japan a excuse to invade Taiwan. In 1875, China agreed to pay an indemnity to Japan so that Japanese forces can withdrew from Taiwan.

In 1895, China was defeated by Japan during the first Sino-Japanese War. The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed by both Japan and China at the end of the war, in which China was obligated to recognize the independence of Korea and ceded Taiwan, the Pescadores Islands, and Liaodong Peninsula to Japan. Taiwanese people were angry of China’s action and decided to stood up and fight back and marks the second Japanese Invasion of Taiwan.  In October of 1895, with the defeat of Taiwan in Tainan City, Japan has successfully invaded Taiwan.

Taiwan is ruled by Japan from 1895 – 1945. In this 50 years, Taiwanese residence has suffer under Japanese ruling. Japanese government holds strong government power and make the people powerless so that they are not able to fight back. Japanese language and culture were enforce in the Taiwanese society, including Japanese names, Japanese clothes, Japanese customs. Japanese language was the only language allow in public and also encouraged to speak Japanese at home. These rulings has influence the Taiwanese culture and origins. In 1945, Japan lost World War II and Taiwan was free from Japan by the Treaty of San Francisco. However, the Treaty of San Francisco did not specified the state of sovereignty of Taiwan.

In 1947, the Nationalist Party Kuomintang tries to control Taiwan by sending troops to Taiwan. However, the strong force of the National Party did not win the trust from Taiwanese people, but instead, Taiwanese people did not like the way that the troops acts to the residents. On February 27, 1947, the Nationalist troops tries to arrest the person who sells smuggled cigarette, resulting in accidentally killing a civilian during the course of the event. On the next day, the Taiwanese civilians wants to sue the policeman who kill the civilian, the government refused to do so, resulting the angers of the civilian and started riots called The Taiwan Uprising of February 28th.

In 1949, the Nationalist Party lost to the Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War, and leader of the party Chiang Kaishek flee to Taiwan and rule Taiwan from 1949-1975.

Ever since the establishment of the country, Taiwan have gone through a lot of controversy with its relationship with China. After World War II, the Treaty of San Francisco has free Taiwan from Japan. However, the treaty did not specified whether Taiwan is returned to China or is it a free territory. After the retreat of the Nationalist Party Kuomintang, Taiwan claims itself to be a new nation called Republic of China and established its own government. However, People’s Republic of China, on the other hand, claims that Taiwan is still part of Mainland China and will eventually reunite with Mainland China in terms of governments and policies.