Chen Tien-fu co-founded the Communist Party of the Republic of China on 31 March 2009 and became its general secretary. However, five months later, Chen announced that he and his supporters could not accept the use of "Republic of China" in the party's name, and that he did not have any real power as general secretary. The Communist Party of the Republic of China subsequently expelled Chen from the party on 25 September 2009, prompting Chen to establish the Taiwan Democratic Communist Party on 1 October 2009 as a rival party. Chen later said that he specifically chose the date 1 October 2009 because it was the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.