Pro-Republic of China

Pro-Republic of China (Chinese: 親中華民國; Wade–Giles: chʻin¹ Chung¹hua² Min²kuo²) or simply pro-ROC (Chinese: 民國派; Wade–Giles: Min²kuo² pʻai⁴) refers to a person or organization that has a familiarity with Republic of China (ROC) in terms of politics, economy, society, and culture.

Since the People's Republic of China (PRC) has dominated mainland China since 1949, there are admiration for traditional Chinese culture, but those who oppose the PRC are not referred to as "pro-China" (親中). Also, "pro-Republic of China" should not be confused with "pro-Taiwanese sentiment".

Overview

Generally, "pro-Republic of China" refers to a case of supporting the ROC outside the government-ruled region of the ROC. Support for the Three Principles of the People, an ideology representing the ROC, may also be included. Many of these have negative views on the PRC's mainland China rule and support the Chinese unification under ROC.

Hong Kong

There have historically been numerous pro-ROC organizations in Hong Kong, as pro-ROC figures defected to British Hong Kong in 1949 when Kuomintang (KMT) was defeated at the Chinese Civil War. Among the pro-ROC groups were trade unions such as Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council, Triad supporting the KMT, and numerous other companies and private organizations.

Early 1980s, the pro-ROC camp had formed the mainstream of conservatism in Hong Kong. However, in the 1980s, the pro-ROC camp began to be pushed out of the mainstream of Hong Kong's conservatism, as the CCP embraced business elites, professionals, and rural leaders, who were previously considered to be the pro-ROC, with the "United Front". Since then, as Taiwan, which occupies most of the ROC's territory, has been democratized, the pro-ROC camp in Hong Kong has also gradually broken away from its previous conservative leanings, making Hong Kong's liberal leanings stronger.

Pro-ROC camp was further weakened by the 1997 transfer of Hong Kong sovereignty, which made Hong Kong officially a territory of the PRC. In 2008, Ma Ying-jeou took office as ROC's president, lessening Hong Kong's pro-ROC organizations were suppressed by the pro-Beijing Hong Kong government.^[1] However, with the implementation of the 2020 Hong Kong national security law, many pro-ROC organizations are severely suppressed.

Mainland China

In 1949, the ROC government lost control of mainland China, "Great Retreat" to Taiwan, and the establishment of the PRC government led to a massive Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries. This nearly wiped out pro-ROC political forces in mainland China.

With the improvement of cross-strait relations since the 1980s, the people of mainland China have more opportunities to contact Taiwan, which has led to an interest in the ROC and the Three Principles of the People, which had long disappeared in mainland. Some dissident mainland people expressed their admiration for the post-reform liberal democratic ROC political system and formed illegal pro-ROC organizations under PRC rule.

Japan

In Japan, "pro-ROC" is referred to as the 親華派. It is should be distinguished from "pro-Taiwan" (親台派) because it supports ROC and not Taiwan independence. Shortly after the Surrender of Japan, Chiang Kai-shek's mainland ROC government insisted on generous post-war action against Japan, and Chiang's steadfast anti-communist beliefs have traditionally led Japanese conservatives to view him positively.

ROC and Japan had established diplomatic relations until 1972. The World League for Freedom and Democracy, an international anti-communist organization founded by Chiang in 1952, featured Japanese ultranationalists such as Ryōichi Sasakawa and Yoshio Kodama.