The Taiwanese flag flies at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in the capital, Taipei. The national status of the island, which functions de facto as an independent state, has been the subject of international dispute for years; Due to the one-China principle – imposed by the neighboring, powerful neighboring country – other countries that trade with China are not allowed to have trade relations with (among others) Taiwan. The result is that many other countries and states do not officially recognize Taiwan, including the Netherlands.
China reiterated on Tuesday that it will not back down from the “use of force” to reclaim what it sees as a renegade Chinese region. To reinforce this warning, Beijing has held several military exercises around Taiwan’s borders.
I-Hwa Cheng/AFP
