At first glance these two countries may seem very similar, but as a visitor you will notice differences. Certain aspects of China and Taiwan make it easier or more difficult to travel around. After the background of the relationship between China and Taiwan and an explanation of how the differences arose, several aspects in which the two countries differ from each other are discussed: visa, money, transport between cities, public transport in cities, communication, customs, food and drink.
- Is there a difference between China and Taiwan?
- How did the differences between China and Taiwan arise?
- How can you travel from China to Taiwan and vice versa?
- Visa
- Money
- Transport between cities
- Public transport in cities
- Communication
- Troublesome habits
- Food and drink
- Sights
- Conclusion
Is there a difference between China and Taiwan?
The answer to this is both yes and no. Officially they are both called China: the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China. In both countries there is the idea that reunification will have to happen again at some point, similar to East and West Germany, but currently there is a practical difference between these two countries. (Taiwan may not officially be called a country, but de facto it is.) Both have their own political identity in the form of their own government, police force, judiciary, laws, customs and borders. This results in its own currency, postal system, telephone country code, internet code and its own sports teams.
How did the differences between China and Taiwan arise?
The relationship between China and Taiwan has been tense since 1949. In that year, Mao Zedong’s Communists expelled Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalists who retreated to Taiwan (then called Formosa). Both sides promised that Flag of Chinese Taipei” / Source: Pixeltoo