I have to say, Taiwan is a relative blindspot for me. Don't really know much about its history and the present day foreign policy implications. All I know is that I see plenty of people, both liberals and conservatives, lamenting over what China might or might not do.
Can someone please provide a brief rundown of what's happening? What's the relevant history? What's going on in the present? What exactly is their relationship with China?
Taiwan is a part of China. It is an island filled with the descendants of the losers of the Chinese civil war. As a part of taking over Taiwan, the losers colonized and wiped out most of the indigenous people who had lived on that island for centuries.
China allows Taiwan to be semi-self governing now, but forces other countries to not recognize it as an independent country because it is not.
Taiwan is the Texas of China!