PRC Vs. ROC
The Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are East Asian geographic neighbors. The Republic of China, commonly referred to as Taiwan or ROC, is an island of 23 million people sitting less than 150 miles off the coast of the People's Republic of China, also known as China or PRC; China is the largest country in the world with a population of 1.6 billion people. The ROC and PRC are seen by some as two parts of China while others view Taiwan as a nation independent of China.
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Shared History
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Chinese migration to Taiwan began before the 10th century and continued sporadically until 1949, when the Chinese Nationalists lost the civil war in China to the Chinese Communist Party; the Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan. Before the 20th century, Chinese left China to escape tyranny, droughts or other natural disasters. In doing so, they introduced cultural and religious practices to Taiwan that still exist in the 21st century.
Political Differences
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The political systems employed by Taiwan and China differ ideologically. Both countries have a president and a body of law makers, but Taiwan practices democracy while China practices communism. Media censorship is a central part of policy-making in China while freedom of speech is espoused in its neighbor. These differences are augmented by the political tensions regarding Taiwan's legal status as a state. Taiwan claims to be an independent state while China claims that it is simply a province of the PRC.
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Cultural Differences
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The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution that took place in China during the 1950s and 1960s, killing roughly 18 to 34 million people, dramatically altered its orientation to traditional Chinese values and practices such as Confucianism and Buddhism. Communist values espoused by Mao Zedong have raised the state above family in importance. Conversely, traditional Chinese Confucian values of respect for the family structure remain vibrant in Taiwan. Taiwan's constitution allows for freedom of religious expression and Buddhism and Taoism, also once practiced in China, are an important part of Taiwan's cultural identity.
Cultural Similarities
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The term "Chinese culture" is sometimes applied to a culture shared by both Taiwan and China, and has to do with shared foods, language, arts, and certain basic values such as elder orientation in family practices. The official language of both China and Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese. In addition to language, the communication of meaning is similar in both China and Taiwan. Both countries share a culture that is considered high-context, where meaning may often implied rather than explicitly stated.
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References
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