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Taiwan had been handed over to the Republic of China from Japan two years earlier and tensions between the local Taiwanese and the new arrivals from the Mainland had increased in the intervening years. A dispute on February 27, 1947 in Taipei between a female cigarette vendor and an anti-smuggling officer triggered a civil disorder which was put down brutally and with large loss of civilian life by the ROC Army.
As settlement for losing the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), Imperial Qing China ceded the entire island of Taiwan to Japan in 1895. Despite sporadic resistance fiercely suppressed by Japanese authorities, Japanese rule in Taiwan was much more humane and less oppressive than in Korea or mainland China. Taiwanese perceptions of the Japanese colonial era are significantly more favorable than perceptions in other parts of East Asia, partly because during its 50 years (1895-1945) of colonial rule Japan expended considerable effort in developing Taiwan's economy and raised the standard of living for most Taiwanese citizens to levels far higher than other places in Asia. Family members of the elite were respected. By 1905Events January-April January 22 Massacre of Russian demonstrators at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, one of the triggers of the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905. January 26 The Cullinan Diamond is found near Pretoria, South Africa at the Premier, the island had electric power.
At the same time, Japanese rule led to a three stage process of colonization of the island, which began as an oppressive paternalistic approach, then a "doka" policy was instituted in which the Japanese considered the Taiwanese to be separate but equal, and the final stage being "kominka", a policy which readied Taiwanese to fight for the emperor. The "kominka" period hoped to teach the Taiwanese the "Japanese Spirit" (and eventually assimulate Taiwanese into the Japanese society), including compulsory Japanese education and forcing residents of Taiwan to adopt Japanese names. The later period of Japanese rule saw a local elite educated and organized. During the 1930sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Years: 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Link Trainer invented Sc, several home rule groups were promoted as the Taiwanese developed a "Taiwan Consciousness" in contrast to the Japanese and Chinese. The Taiwanese eventually pushed for entry into the Japanese DietThe National Diet of Japan (; Kokkai is Japan's legislature. It consists of two houses: the House of Representatives (; Shugi-in and the House of Councillors (; Sangi-in . Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. As wel. Some Taiwanese youngsters were drafted into the Imperial Japanese ArmyThe Imperial Japanese Army was in existence from the Meiji Reformation to the end of World War II. Its creation was largely the result of Japan recognizing its falling behind the Western nations and attempting to restore balance. The Japanese army saw com to fight in Mainland China, the island of Hainan and Southeast Asia.
Nevertheless Japanese colonial approaches distanced the Taiwanese locals from their former mainland counterparts. Many locals were educated poorly in Chinese literacy, some even incompetent in daily communication of the Chinese language. Education in "Japanese spirits" furthered the discrepancy. Consequently the younger generations born during Japanese colonial rule were more neutral and even sympathetic or protagonistic towards Japan whilst most elder populace of Taiwanese locals celebrated the return of Chinese jurisdiction after World War II.
Several Chinese nationalistic or anti-Japanese families had moved to the mainland including Lien Heng , the grandfather of Lien Chan, mainly to preserve their Chinese identities.