Taiwan

"Japanese or Chinese? Even they don't know anymore."

- Pacific Rim Sourcebook

Taiwan is not really a country and it's not actually apart of China. Many people in 2020 consider Taiwan to be a separate state/country from China, however the Chinese government still tries to get Taiwan to be an official territory. Taiwan in the modern day (as in Cyberpunk) is very similar to China except being slightly more developed and has the aid of the Arasaka corporation backing them. Kang Tao is the largest corporation based out of Taiwan.

History
Throughout it's history, Taiwan has been colonized around five times. In the early 1400s Fujian farmers settled in the island of Taiwan, moving aside the aborigines, in 1624 they were invaded by the Dutch. In 1682 it officially became a part of China's Fujian province under the Manchus. Again in 1895 it seceded from China and became under Japan's rule, which was the country that played a huge role in developing it. Lastly the Chinese Nationalist Party had fled to Taiwan in 1949 and continued the Japanese financial development.

The Chinese Republic of Taiwan was finally formed in 2008, meanwhile Communist China was conveniently occupied elsewhere. The culture of Taiwan is very much similar to that of China, however Taiwan switch out from communism and settled to be Capitalist, everyone is much richer than in China, and with the Japanese influence that they had sold out for, Taiwan became a much more stable place to than China. Despite their advancements, the people of Taiwan do still fear that China might invade and try to take the territory back.

The Taiwanese Government made it their priority to buy planes and weapons as much as possible. As well as hiring on Arasaka to plan out their defense force. A majority of their anti-ship, plane, and missile defenses are on the Kinmen and Matsu islands, and at Hsinchu, Chanhua, as well as Anping. These islands all have Arasaka troops 24-hours a day monitoring the Communist and Militech forces.

Due to the geography of Taiwan it makes it a perfect colony for Japan, after all it is only a 2 hour plane ride from Osaka and not to mention Okinawa. The west of the island is flat perfect for development of urban areas, while the east part is mountainous which help protect it from Tsunamis. However, they hold over the populated side the acidic monsoons from China. The North-east part of the island has been a very popular part of the island for Taiwanese and Japanese tourist.

Taiwan through this time has been a manufacturing haven. Kang Tao is based out of Taiwan, and is still very much independent. Most other countries however have been more or less bought over by the Japanese corporate. As well the farmlands was all given up to build more factories. The cities of Taiwan were built with many banks, trading houses, smugglers, gangsters, and etc. This made it very convenient for Japanese corporates. Taipei is a major stopping point for the guns, drugs, and girls trade to the Japan's Yakuza clans and corrupt corporate companies. Before the independence, most of Taiwan's trade, legal and other, was with China via Hong Kong. Now all that was switched over to Japan. They have opened up the free-trade doors for Japan. Actually, the main point of strife in Taiwan is between the Yakuza and the Triads over who controls what. Throughout the years, every now and again, there would be much bloodshed and body counts would rise due to the Triads lashing out.

Taiwan upon being controlled by Japan adopted a more stable government being led by a president who oversees 5 branches of government: Executive, Judicial, Legislative, Examination, and Control.

Taiwan adopted the Mandarin Chinese language and writing system, however like most overseas Chinatowns, they use old-style complex kanji that China has used. Because of this there isn't much in terms of other languages that can be seen in the streets, besides Japanese.

The culture of Taiwan has also adapted being much like China, but with much Japanese influence to balance it out. Around 2010 Taiwan started using Eurobucks and New Yen as their main currency. Unlike like China, Taiwan has a nightlife with many bars, clubs, and many more to hang out around till 3-4 am. They make up for the lack of sleep with nap (xiuxi) from 1-2 pm.

Government
The government of the Republic of China was founded on the Constitution of the ROC and its Three Principles of the People, which states that the ROC "shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people". The government is divided into five branches (Yuan): the Executive Yuan, the Legislative Yuan, the Judicial Yuan, the Control Yuan, and the Examination Yuan. The constitution was drafted before the fall of mainland China to the Communist Party of China. It was created by the KMT for the purpose of all of its claimed territory, including Taiwan, even though the Communist Party boycotted the drafting of the constitution. The constitution went into effect on 25 December 1947. The ROC remained under martial law from 1948 until 1987 and much of the constitution was not in effect. Political reforms beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the early 1990s transformed into a multiparty democracy. Since the lifting of martial law, the Republic of China has democratized and reformed, suspending constitutional components that were originally meant for the whole of China. This process of amendment continues. In 2000, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidency, ending KMT's continuous control of the government. In May 2005, a new National Assembly was elected to reduce the number of parliamentary seats and implement several constitutional reforms. These reforms have been passed; the National Assembly has essentially voted to abolish itself and transfer the power of constitutional reform to the popular ballot.

The head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a maximum of 2 four-year terms on the same ticket as the vice-president. The president has authority over the Yuan. The president appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as his cabinet, including a premier, who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration.

The main legislative body is the unicameral Legislative Yuan with 113 seats. Seventy-three are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies; thirty-four are elected based on the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties in a separate party list ballot; and six are elected from two three-member aboriginal constituencies. Members serve four-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly, as a standing constitutional convention and electoral college, held some parliamentary functions, but the National Assembly was abolished in 2005 with the power of constitutional amendments handed over to the Legislative Yuan and all eligible voters of the Republic via referendums.

The premier is selected by the president without the need for approval from the legislature, but the legislature can pass laws without regard for the president, as neither he nor the Premier wields veto power. Thus, there is little incentive for the president and the legislature to negotiate on legislation if they are of opposing parties. After the election of the pan-Green's Chen Shui-bian as President in 2000, legislation repeatedly stalled because of deadlock with the Legislative Yuan, which was controlled by a pan-Blue majority. Historically, the ROC has been dominated by strongman single party politics. This legacy has resulted in executive powers currently being concentrated in the office of the president rather than the premier, even though the constitution does not explicitly state the extent of the president's executive power.

The Judicial Yuan is the highest judicial organ. It interprets the constitution and other laws and decrees, judges administrative suits, and disciplines public functionaries. The president and vice-president of the Judicial Yuan and additional thirteen justices form the Council of Grand Justices. They are nominated and appointed by the president, with the consent of the Legislative Yuan. The highest court, the Supreme Court, consists of a number of civil and criminal divisions, each of which is formed by a presiding judge and four associate judges, all appointed for life. In 1993, a separate constitutional court was established to resolve constitutional disputes, regulate the activities of political parties and accelerate the democratization process. There is no trial by jury but the right to a fair public trial is protected by law and respected in practice; many cases are presided over by multiple judges.

Capital punishment is still used in Taiwan, although efforts have been made by the government to reduce the number of executions. Between 2005 and 2009, capital punishment was stopped. Nevertheless, according to a survey in 2006, about 80% of Taiwanese still wanted to keep the death penalty.

The Control Yuan is a watchdog agency that monitors (controls) the actions of the executive. It can be considered a standing commission for administrative inquiry and can be compared to the Court of Auditors of the European Union or the Government Accountability Office of the United States.

The Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants. It is based on the old imperial examination system used in dynastic China. It can be compared to the European Personnel Selection Office of the European Union or the Office of Personnel Management of the United States.

Geography
Taiwan is an island state in East Asia. The main island, known historically as Formosa, makes up 99% of the area controlled by the ROC, measuring 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 sq mi) and lying some 180 kilometres (112 mi) across the Taiwan Strait from the southeastern coast of mainland China. The East China Sea lies to its north, the Philippine Sea to its east, the Luzon Strait directly to its south and the South China Sea to its southwest. Smaller islands include a number in the Taiwan Strait including the Penghu archipelago, the Kinmen and Matsu Islands near the Chinese coast, and some of the South China Sea Islands.

The main island is a tilted fault block, characterized by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds, consisting mostly of five rugged mountain ranges parallel to the east coast, and the flat to gently rolling plains of the western third, where the majority of Taiwan's population reside. There are several peaks over 3,500 m, the highest being Yu Shan at 3,952 m (12,966 ft), making Taiwan the world's fourth-highest island. The tectonic boundary that formed these ranges is still active, and the island experiences many earthquakes, a few of them highly destructive. There are also many active submarine volcanoes in the Taiwan Straits.

The eastern mountains are heavily forested and home to a diverse range of wildlife, while land use in the western and northern lowlands is intensive.

Taipei - 9 million
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is a modern metropolis with Japanese colonial lanes, busy shopping streets and contemporary buildings. The skyline is crowned by the 509m-tall, bamboo-shaped Taipei 101 skyscraper, with upscale shops at the base and a rapid elevator to an observatory near the top. Taipei is also known for its lively street-food scene and many night markets, including expansive Shilin market.

Kaohsiung - 2.9 million
Kaohsiung is a massive port city in southern Taiwan. It's home to many skyscrapers, such as the 248m-tall Tuntex Sky Tower, and is known for its diversity of parks. Its focal point is the Love River, with walking paths and cafes along its banks, and cruise boats navigating its waters. Shopping options range from high-end malls to the Liuhe and Ruifeng night markets.

Taichung - 2.3 million
Taichung is an industrial city on the western side of central Taiwan. It’s a gateway for exploring the island’s mountainous interior, including nature areas like Sun Moon Lake, popular for boating and hiking. In the bustling city center are museums, temples and the ornate brick Taichung Station, a legacy of the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945).