<p>Gxing, Taiwan has not been a part of China for centuries. In fact, it can be said that Taiwan was NEVER a part of China. More realistically, however, the only significant ties between the two countries are from the 20th century. Up until 400 years ago, Taiwan was inhabited by aboriginals that pretty much no one knew about. The European Age of Exploration came and various European powers held parts of Taiwan (mainly as a trading post/military base) completely independent of China. From the end of the 17th century to the end of the 19th, after the Europeans were expelled, the Chinese government had little influence over Taiwan. While the majority of the present-day Taiwanese people descend from Chinese immigrants of this era, Taiwan was NOT a part of China. China claimed it as territory but could not control it. This is a common misperception, I think, in that people say Taiwan and China were the same here because the Chinese "officially" (whatever that means) held control. The immigrants who fled to Taiwan at this time were actually people fleeing the problems of the mainland (famine, war, etc.) and these are the Taiwanese people (along with the aboriginies). Then came the Japanese era when China definitely had no influence over Taiwan. Post-WWII, when the Nationalists fled the mainland to Taiwan, is where most of the confusion comes from. Both parties, the KMT (Nationalists) and the Communists claimed that they were the rulers of China. I believe the communists' claim of Taiwan stems from the fact that they defeated the KMT and thus control all ethnic Chinese territories.</p>