Today in Asian History: UN General Assembly Switches Chinas

When the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, foreign diplomats were left with a dilemma. Both Mao's communist government on the mainland and Chiang Kai-shek's government on Taiwan (formerly Formosa) claimed to be the legitimate representative of the Chinese people.

Naturally, Cold War geopolitics also played a role - western governments were reluctant to recognize that the world's most populous country was communist, and had the clout in the UN to block recognition. In the event, it took literally decades before the international community accepted this reality.

It wasn't until October 25, 1971, that the United Nations General Assembly voted to admit mainland China as a member. It also expelled Taiwan, which today functions much like any other nation, but is officially recognized by only 23 other states (mostly in Latin America and Oceana).