Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan (Delegation of Authority Reference)
Two Versions of Self-Government: Independence vs. Autonomy
To no one’s surprise, the fact of Taiwan as a self-governing free democracy looks totally different in the eyes of Beijing. To Beijing, it is one thing to say that Taiwan is a self-governing entity; it is another to say that its political self-government stands independently from authorization. Notably, authorization does not have to take the form of explicit approval. Acquiescence, toleration, or abstaining from expressing objection can be seen as expressions of implicit authorization under certain circumstances. In other words, to Beijing, the political self-government Taiwan has exercised since 1949 is not so much (de facto) political independence as authorized or tolerated autonomy. Until Taiwan found itself its new identity as a self-governing free democracy, Taipei’s hard-fought diplomatic campaign had been viewed as part of the struggle for political representation set out by the Chinese Civil War. In the eyes of Beijing, the remaining diplomatic recognition Taipei managed to maintain during that period was nothing more than a result of Beijing’s unfinished job, adding nothing to the political autonomy left to the losing side to a long civil war.
-- excerpted from
https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/why-dip ... to-taiwan/
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