Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China

The Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China or the Theory of the Four Stages of the Republic of China (Chinese: 中華民國四階段論; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Sì Jiēduàn Lùn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-hoâ Bîn-kok Sì Kai-toāⁿ Lūn) is a viewpoint proposed by Chen Shui-bian, the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008, in 2005. It is a viewpoint regarding the political status of the Republic of China, whose government retreated to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The main idea of the theory is that the time line for the development of the Republic of China can be classified into four stages, which are:

By this theory, Chen pointed out that the Republic of China was at the 4th stage after the first ruling party rotation of the central government in 2000. That is, Taiwan, with the official name called the "Republic of China", is already an independent sovereign state separate from People's Republic of China. This theory is welcomed by the mainstream of the Pan-Green coalition (led by the Democratic Progressive Party) in Taiwan, which supports eventual de jure Taiwan independence; but is not welcomed by most members of the Pan-Blue coalition (Kuomintang), which supports the eventual reunification of Taiwan with mainland China as part of a single "Chinese nation". Some members of the more strongly pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union also oppose this view since they deem the ROC to be an illegitimate foreign and colonial regime that should be replaced by the proposed "Republic of Taiwan". The Pan-Blue Coalition agrees with the first three stages, but disagrees with the fourth stage, and prefers to maintain the distinction between the "Republic of China" (the polity) and "Taiwan" (part of the territory the polity governs). The government of the People's Republic of China has also voiced opposition against the fourth stage on the grounds that such an interpretation is a step closer to de jure Taiwan independence. (Officially, the PRC claims the existence of the ROC only until 1949.)

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