The Korean War broke out in 1950. It was the beginning of confrontation in East Asia between the US and the Soviet Union, superpowers representing Capitalism and Communism respectively. Taiwan, a critical part of the first island chain in the western Pacific, was ruled by the Kuomintang (KMT). It had become the fortress for “Free China,” and a base for both anti-Communist efforts and the KMT’s campaign to resurrect the Republic of China. As the Beijing government expanded its diplomatic relationships, Republic of China’s international status faced successive defeats – withdrawal from the United Nations in 1971 and the ending of formal diplomatic ties with the US in 1978. Nevertheless, the KMT government still asserted its political slogan of “China’s Reunification under the Three Principles of the People,” constituting an authoritative regime of one-party dominance and governance by KMT principles.