Taiwan, the Republic of China, has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, commonly referred to as China. Taiwan was conquered from Qing China by the Empire of Japan in 1895. Taiwan became an independent country in 1945 when the USA conquered Japan. Today, it is a major producer of semiconductor computer chips. It also serves as a convenient excuse for China to put tanks and soldiers in the street as they prepare for riots as their banking and real estate market collapses.