International recognition of Taiwan

Following the ROC central government’s retreat since 1949, the effective territories of the Republic of China (ROC) has been limited to Taiwan and its associated islands, and lost control of mainland China due to its defeat in the Chinese Civil War by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which established the People's Republic of China (PRC) that same year. The division marked the start of cross-strait relations and the emergence of two rival governments on opposite sides of the Taiwan Strait, each claiming to be the sole legitimate authority over both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Initially excluded from the United Nations (UN) in favor of the ROC, the PRC on mainland has gradually gained increased recognition and assumed China’s UN seat in 1971 through the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. Since then, the international recognition of the ROC has greatly lessened.

Today, the ROC has formal diplomatic relations with twelve nations but maintains unofficial bilateral ties with other countries through its representative offices, and membership in international organizations as a non-state entity. According to a Lowy Institute tally in January 2025, about 74 percent (142) of the UN member states explicitly endorse the PRC's position that Taiwan is part of China, 23 of those states do not endorse the one-China principle, and others merely acknowledge or respect rather than recognize the PRC position.