Taiwan’s Independence Movement

In 1895, the Chinese empire was defeated by Japan in the so-called Jiauwu War, fought over the two powers' influence over Korea. Under the leadership of Governor Tang Ching-sung, a desperate attempt was made to forestall Japanese occupation by proclaiming an independent Republic of on May 25, 1895. It may seem remarkable that this short-lived Republic of of 1895 has received only the most cursory attention from authors of the later Taiwan Independence Movement (TIM). The legitimacy of Taiwan's retrocession to China has strongly been challenged by proponents of the later TIM. Authors of the TIM have hailed the Uprising as the first expression of Taiwan's drive for independence. The island's administration was practically assumed by the 2.28 Resolution Committee, hastily assembled by Taiwanese dignitaries. The government in exile further attempted to establish a Taiwan Independence movement on the island itself. Under the leadership of Huang Chi-nan, a small group of determined independence activists was set up.