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The national
Flag of the Republic of China (traditional Chinese:
中華民國國旗;
simplified Chinese:
中华民国国旗; pinyin: Zhōnghuá
Mínguó guóqí) is a well-known symbol of the Republic of
China (ROC). It is commonly referred to in Chinese as Blue
Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth (traditional Chinese:
青天、白日、滿地紅;
simplified Chinese:
青天、白日、满地红; pinyin: qīng
tiān, bái rì, mǎn dì hóng) to reflect its attributes.
This design was first used in China by the Kuomintang (KMT) in
1917 and made the official flag of the ROC in 1928.
The current use
of the flag is considered by some to be controversial due to the
dispute over the political status of Taiwan. Within Taiwan, the
flag is widely used as a national flag though there is
controversy over its appropriateness. It is actively embraced as
a symbol by Chinese reunification supporters as a historical
link with mainland China, while a number of Taiwan independence
supporters shun the flag for mainly the same reasons. Its use
has been opposed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) because
it suggests the continued existence of the ROC, which the PRC
regards as defunct and to have been succeeded by the PRC in the
Chinese Civil War. However, since the early 2000s, the PRC has
had a more favorable view toward the flag, as it began to see
the use of the flag in Taiwan as symbolizing a connection
between Taiwan and mainland China, and news media in the PRC
have often criticized supporters of Taiwanese independence for
attempting to replace the flag.
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