Taiwan's Restoration: The Return of Sovereignty and Early Cross-Strait Dynamics

This study analyzes Taiwan’s post-World War II restoration and sovereignty reassertion. Following Japan’s surrender, China regained full sovereignty over Taiwan and affirmed its inalienable status under the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Proclamation, and Japan’s Instrument of Surrender. Between 1945 and 1949, Taiwan experienced the Kuomintang (KMT)authorities’ compromised postwar policy toward Japan and the embedding of Taiwan within U.S.-led Cold War strategies. The Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan and early so-called “Japan-Taiwan” interactions lacked legal legitimacy and contravened Chinese sovereignty. This period underscores the centrality of the “One China” principle and highlights how historical, political, and strategic factors shaped Taiwan’s postwar international status.

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