BEIJING, Jan. 4, 2021 — A news report by China.org.cn:
 
In the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Zheng family, which was headed by the descendants of Zheng Chenggong, ruled Taiwan, and contended with the Qing government. Despite several rounds of peace negotiations, no agreement was reached. In order to calm the civil strife, Emperor Kangxi sent Shi Lang to lead an army to Taiwan in 1683, which led to the reunification of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
The following year, a government was set up in Taiwan, which was under the jurisdiction of Fujian province. Under the governance of the Qing government, a large number of residents from the Chinese mainland moved to Taiwan and settled here. Gradually, Taiwan transformed itself from a society of migrants to a unified one governed by intellectuals. Over time, the local ethnic minority groups in Taiwan and the Han people also became more integrated.
As the gateway to the southeast coast of the Chinese mainland, Taiwan has always been targeted by Western powers. When the Opium War gripped China in 1840, the fate of Taiwan once again changed. The wild ambition of imperialist powers like Britain, the United States, Japan, and France came to light and Taiwan was invaded many times. The frequent attacks by the foreign invaders made the Qing government aware of the importance of Taiwan in its national defense, and begin to adjust its governance strategy.
In 1885, Taiwan was upgraded to become the 20th province of China. Liu Mingchuan became the first governor of Taiwan and quickly implemented a series of new development policies. Taiwan spared no effort in building forts, constructing railways, setting up a network of electrical wires, and opening coal mines. Taiwan gradually embarked on the road to modernization, and at that time, development on the island was far ahead that on the Chinese mainland.
However, the Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1894, and Taiwan’s fate was once again rewritten.
"Fate diverges and is unpredictable." What would Taiwan go through in its next stage? Stay tuned for our next episode, and I’ll tell you more!
Yuanyuan’s Adventure Episode III: Taiwan Reunification
http://news.china.com.cn/txt/2021-01/04/content_77076603.htm
