China and The United Nations

China And The United Nations

China's seat in the United Nations and membership of the United Nations Security Council was originally occupied by the Republic of China (ROC) from October 24, 1945 to October 25, 1971, but has since been occupied by the People's Republic of China (PRC).

During the Chinese Civil War, the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek withdrew from mainland China to the island of Taiwan in 1949, where the ROC currently exercises control. On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China (PRC), and claimed that the PRC had superseded the ROC. The representatives of the PRC first attended the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, as China's representatives on October 25, 1971, replacing the ROC delegates; the ROC, which became known for many purposes as "Taiwan", is no longer represented by a Permanent Representative at the UN. The PRC has what is known as the "One-China policy", under which it vigorously opposes any moves seen to be endorsement of Taiwan as an independent sovereign state or as a rival "China", although two Chinas effectively exist.