For centuries, sailors from mainland China make the ninety mile ocean journey to Taiwan. The Chinese Emperor claims the island for China, but it is a remote and often-forgotten part of the huge Empire.
Japan is victorious in the Sino-Japanese war.
China cedes its island province. In China, the Emperor is overthrown. Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist Party fight for China's unification and against the Chinese Communist leader, Mao Zedong. 1937 Japan invades China, and World War II begins in Asia. Taiwan is an important staging area for Japanese troops.