Proposed flag of Taiwan

Several proposals for a flag of Taiwan have been initiated by supporters of formal Taiwan independence to replace the flag of the Republic of China as the national flag flown over Taiwan. Supporters of Taiwan independence object to the use of the flag of the Republic of China since it was designed by and is closely associated with the Kuomintang. However, no single flag has been established as the symbol of the independence movement, and moderate supporters of Taiwan independence, such as the Democratic Progressive Party, have accepted the flag of the Republic of China for the time being and have not pushed for a new flag. The flag of the Republic of China in current use is defined in the 6th article of the Constitution, and amending the Constitution requires a referendum which would only succeed with wide political support. The Republic of China, originally based in mainland China, retreated to Taiwan in 1949 and established its capital in Taipei. The country, since then known as "Taiwan", retains its official name "Republic of China" and still officially claims territories governed by the People's Republic of China, as the PRC claims all ROC territories.

From the mid-1950s to the 1970s, a self-proclaimed Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government was active in Japan. Its president was Thomas Wen-I Liao, who was in exile there. This government used a flag of a blue field charged with a white sun and a white moon.

In 1996, a campaign called “New Name, New Flag, New Anthem” was launched to rename the Republic of China, replace the flag of the Republic of China, and the National Anthem of the Republic of China, all of which were brought to Taiwan when the Kuomintang government retreated to the island in 1949. After a contest in which 187 different flags were entered, the “hearts-in-harmony flag” emerged as the winner. The green field was to symbolize the natural beauty of the island and the need to protect the environment; the white in the Canadian pale was to symbolize the purity of the people on the island and the desire to preserve the natural beauty; and the device in the centre was to symbolize four hearts in harmony, representing the four population groups on the island: the indigenous peoples, Hakka, Hoklo, and mainlanders. This flag has emerged as the most well-known proposed flag of Taiwan, though it has not gained acceptance with the mainstream Democratic Progressive Party. Some Chinese nationalists criticized the design as being reminiscent of the Imperial Seal of Japan where a chrysanthemum is present and therefore a promotion of Japanese militarism.

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