Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that can help answer the question.
Query: When was the Republic of China formed?
Republic of China, as a state and republic in East Asia, controlled the Chinese mainland and Mongolia from 1912, when it was established by Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, to 1949, when its government fled to Taipei due to Kuomintang's failure in Chinese Civil War. Republic of China's first president, Sun Yat-sen, served only briefly before handing over the position to Yuan Shikai, leader of Beiyang Army. His party, then led by Song Jiaoren, won the parliamentary election held in December 1912. Song Jiaoren was assassinated shortly after, and Beiyang Army led by Yuan Shikai maintained full control of Beiyang government. Between late 1915 and early 1916, Yuan Shikai tried to reinstate the monarchy, before abdicating after popular unrest. After Yuan Shikai's death in 1916, members of cliques in Beiyang Army claimed their autonomy and clashed with each other. During this period, the authority of Beiyang government was weakened by a restoration of Qing dynasty.
Both the "Free China Journal" and the "Free China Weekly" often referred to the polity as the "Republic of China on Taiwan" prior to Lee Teng-hui taking office as the first Taiwan-born President of the Republic of China. During Lee's administration, the term remained in use, and he used the term in his speech at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States in June 1995. It was used to identify the Republic of China with its remaining major component – the island of Taiwan, as opposed to its decades-long claim to all China since losing the civil war in 1949. Prior to this speech, the government officials used "Republic of China" when the name of the state was used. Lee's usage is considered as a departure from the convention, as this usage can be interpreted in the sense that the Republic of China's sovereignty does not extend to mainland China, which the People's Republic of China controls.
The Nationality law of the People's Republic of China regulates nationality within the PRC. A person obtains nationality either by birth when at least one parent is of Chinese nationality or by naturalization. All people holding nationality of the People's Republic of China are citizens of the Republic. The Resident Identity Card is the official form of identification for residents of the People's Republic of China.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the armed forces of the Communist Party of China were nominally incorporated into the National Revolutionary Army (while retaining separate commands), but broke away to form the People's Liberation Army shortly after the end of the war. With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947 and the formal end of the KMT party-state, the National Revolutionary Army was renamed the Republic of China Armed Forces (), with the bulk of its forces forming the Republic of China Army, which retreated to Taiwan in 1949.
In 1949, a Communist-backed government, led by Mao Zedong, was instated in China (officially becoming the People's Republic of China). The installation of the new government was established after the People's Liberation Army defeated the Nationalist Republican Government of China in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949). Two Chinas were formed - mainland 'Communist China' (People's Republic of China) and 'Nationalist China' Taiwan (Republic of China). The takeover by Communists of the world's most populous nation was seen in the West as a great strategic loss, prompting the popular question at the time, "Who lost China?" The United States subsequently ended diplomatic relations with China in response to the communist takeover in 1949.
Laos obtained a partial independence from France in 1949, around the time when Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China after defeating Chiang Kai Shek's nationalist government in the Chinese Civil War. Consequently, China's adaptation of Stalinist principles in the form of Maoism influenced Laotian politics, fuelling demands for total independence from France, which was granted in 1953. Along with China, Laos was involved in the Vietnam War from 1964. The border between the country and the People's Republic of China at that time was officially set.
Chinese claims in the South China sea are delineated in part by the nine-dash line. It was originally an "eleven-dashed-line," first indicated by the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China in 1947, for its claims to the South China Sea. When the Communist Party of China took over mainland China and formed the People's Republic of China in 1949, the line was adopted and revised to nine dashes/dots, as endorsed by Zhou Enlai. The legacy of the nine-dash line is viewed by some PRC government officials, and by the PRC military, as providing historical support for their claims to the South China Sea.
When initially formed in February 1949, it likely consisted of the 178th Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China), 179th Division, and 180th Division. 
Republic of China plum blossom symbol basic form Seal of the President of the Republic of China Chinese Taipei Olympic flag Symbol of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway China Airlines aircraft tails feature plum blossoms
Since the 1990s, however, a rising movement for formal recognition of Taiwanese independence has made the political status of Taiwan the dominant issue, replacing the debate about the legitimate government of China. A view in Taiwan is that the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are both sovereign, thus forming "two Chinas", or "one China, one Taiwan". Former Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian adamantly supported this status quo, and accordingly largely abandoned the campaign for the Republic of China to be recognised as the sole legitimate government of China. Under President Chen, the ROC government was campaigning for the Republic of China to join the United Nations as representative of its effective territory—Taiwan and nearby islands—only. The next Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou ceased that push.
The President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) can appoint Senior Advisors to the Office of the President of the Republic of China () and National Policy Advisors to the Office of the President of the Republic of China (), but they do not form a council.
People's Republic of China–Lesotho relations refer to the bilateral relations of the People's Republic of China and Lesotho. Relations began in 1983, with the first significant diplomatic exchange occurring when Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan visited China later that year, followed by King Moshoeshoe II in 1985. Foreign relations were broken off in 1990 when Lesotho opened diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, although restored in 1994 when the Basutoland Congress Party ceased relations with Taiwan.
The People's Republic of China and Republic of Chad first established bilateral relations in 1972. The countries maintained relations until 1997, when China severed ties due to Chad's recognition of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Relations resumed in August 2006 when Chad ended its relationship with Taiwan and pledged adherence to PR China's One China Policy.
Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, ABC has been formed and abolished several times. In 1951, two banks of the Republic of China, Farmers Bank of China and Cooperation Bank, merged to form the Agricultural Cooperation Bank, which ABC regards as its ancestor. However, the bank was merged into People's Bank of China, the central bank in 1952. The first bank bearing the name Agricultural Bank of China was founded in 1955, but it was merged into the central bank in 1957. In 1963 the Chinese government formed another agricultural bank which was also merged into the central bank two years later. Today's Agricultural Bank of China was founded in February 1979. It was restructured to form a holding company called Agricultural Bank of China Limited. It was listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges in July 2010.
The Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China was drawn up in March 1912 and formed the basic government document of the Republic of China until 1928. It provided a Western-style parliamentary system headed by a weak president. However, the system was quickly usurped when Song Jiaoren, who as leader of the KMT was to become prime minister following the party's victory in the 1913 elections, was assassinated by the orders of President Yuan Shikai. Yuan regularly flouted the elected assembly and assumed dictatorial powers. Upon his death in 1916, China disintegrated into warlordism and the Beiyang Government operating under the Constitution remained in the hands of various military leaders.
There was a temporary cease-fire when the second KMT-CCP alliance was formed in 1937 to combat the Japanese invasion. The Chinese Soviet Republic was renamed Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region, and the communist-led Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army became the New Fourth Army and the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army. All these changes were nominal, however, as the CCP expanded in power and its fighting with the government persisted in the course of the war. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Communists took over several regions formerly occupied by Japan. Full-scale war broke out amid the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947. By October 1949, the Communists occupied most of the Mainland China, and Mao Zedong of the CCP declared the People's Republic of China in Beijing. The Government of the Republic of China relocated to Taipei and has failed to retake the mainland since then. Taiwan and part of Fujian Province became known as the Free Area of the Republic of China, despite constant threats of communist invasion. The Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion remained in effect until 1991.
The history of the People's Republic of China details the history of mainland China since October 1, 1949, when, after a near complete victory by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China (PRC) from atop Tiananmen. The PRC has for several decades been synonymous with China, but it is only the most recent political entity to govern mainland China, preceded by the Republic of China (ROC) and thousands of years of imperial dynasties.
Taiwan was formally incorporated into the Qing dynasty in 1683. It was then ceded by China to Japan in perpetuity in the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895. At the end of World War II, it was surrendered by Japan to the Kuomintang (KMT) Administration of the Republic of China. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Taiwan and some neighbouring islands continued to be controlled by the Republic of China government. Officially, the People's Republic of China (PRC) government considers Taiwan to be a province of China. According to the PRC, it is the sole legitimate government of China, and thus should also rule Taiwan. According to the PRC, the government of the Republic of China ceased to hold sovereignty over China when it lost control of the Chinese mainland following the Chinese Civil War. Thus, the PRC argues, the PRC assumed sovereignty over the entirety of China in 1949-1950, including over Taiwan, although Taiwan continued to be under the administration of the Republic of China government.
The publication ceased in 1960 when the government forced a shut-down after Lei criticized Chiang Kai-shek for running for President unconstitutionally and promoted forming "Democratic Republic of Chinese Taiwan" (中華臺灣民主國) to counter the People's Republic of China. The final issue was published on September 1, 1960.
Central African Republic–People's Republic of China relations refer to the bilateral relations of the Central African Republic and the People's Republic of China. Diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Central African Republic were established on September 29, 1964 when the CAR's government severed diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). China's ambassador to the Central African Republic is Ma Fulin as of 2017.
The flag was first used in mainland China as the Navy flag in 1912, and was made the official national flag of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1928 by the Kuomintang (KMT). It was enshrined in the sixth article of the Constitution of the Republic of China when it was promulgated in 1947. The flag is no longer used in mainland China after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
The 1970s saw many switches in diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China. After World War II, the Republic of China had been one of the founding members in the United Nations and held China's seat on the Security Council until 1971, when it was expelled by General Assembly Resolution 2758 and replaced in all UN organs with the People's Republic of China government. (Multiple attempts by the Republic of China to re-join the UN have not made it past committee. See China and the United Nations.) Since the 1980s, the number of nations officially recognizing the Republic of China has decreased to 19.
Before 1949, people could move freely into and out of Hong Kong (then a British colony), and China (then Republic of China). Hong Kong residents who held Republic of China citizenship were not registered. In 1949, when the Government of the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan and the :People's Republic of China was established on the mainland, the Hong Kong Government began to register Hong Kong residents to issue compulsory identity documents. These measures were put into practice to halt the large influx of refugees from Communist China and control the border with mainland China. The registration was completed in 1951. Although registration was compulsory for all residents, people were not required to carry their documents with them at all times when out in public.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the armed forces of the Communist Party of China were nominally incorporated into the National Revolutionary Army (while retaining separate commands), but broke away to form the People's Liberation Army shortly after the end of the war. With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947 and the formal end of the KMT party-state, the National Revolutionary Army was renamed the Republic of China Armed Forces, with the bulk of its forces forming the Republic of China Army, which retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Units which surrendered and remained in mainland China were either disbanded or incorporated into the People's Liberation Army.[46]
For many years, both governments contended to be the sole legitimate government of China. With the fighting largely over, the major battleground became diplomatic. Before the 1970s, the Republic of China was still recognized by many countries and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of "China", which claimed sovereignty over both mainland China and Taiwan. The Republic of China had been a founding member of the United Nations and was one of the five permanent members of the Security Council until 1971, when they were expelled from the UN and China's representation was replaced by the People's Republic of China (PRC) via UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Before the 1970s, few foreign governments recognised the People's Republic of China. The first governments to recognise it as the government of "China" were Soviet bloc countries, members of the non-aligned movement, and the United Kingdom (1950). The catalyst to change came in 1971, when the United Nations General Assembly expelled representatives of Chiang Kai-shek by refusing to recognise their accreditations as representatives of China. Recognition for the People's Republic of China soon followed from most other governments, including the United States. The Republic of China continued to compete with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be recognised as the legitimate government of China.