Chairmen of the Nationalist Government
1928-1928: Tan Yankai (Kuomintang)
1928-1931: Chiang Kai-shek (Kuomintang)
1931-1943: Lin Sen (Kuomintang) (died in office)
1931-1948: Chiang Kai-shek (Kuomintang)
Presidents of China
1948-1975: Chiang Kai-shek (Kuomintang) (died in office)
1975-1978: Disputed between Yu Chun-hsien (Canton Clique), Chang Chün (Szechuan Clique), Chiang Ching-kuo (Kuomintang), Wu Nansheng (Anti-KMT Alliance)
Canton Ceasefire signed after the Communist invasion of the Republic and defeat in the Battle of Nanchang. Martial law imposed
1978-1983: Kao Kuei-yuan (Military)
Restoration of civilian government after the end of the Great Asian War
1983-1988: Chiang Ching-kuo (Kuomintang) (died in office)
1988-1988: Yu Kuo-hwa (Kuomintang)
Democratization of the RoC after the Jasmine Revolution
1988-1996: Wang Jo-wang 王若望 (United Progressive Movement)
1988 def. Soong Chu-yu (Kuomintang), Sung Te-fu (Chinese Labor Congress), Kwok Ping-sheunh (Independent), Kong Te-cheng (Independent)
1992 def. Chiang Pin-kung (Kuomintang), Sun Yun-suan (Liberals), Ch’eng K’ei-chieh (Chinese Labor Congress), Kong Te-cheng (Tradition Forum)
1996-2004: Ch’eng Ssu-wei 成思危 (United Progressive Movement)
1996 def. Sun Yun-suan (Liberals), Chien Foo (Kuomintang), Mao Kao-wen (Independent)
2000 def. Li Ao (Opposition Front), Wu Ts’ung-man (Independent), Wang Mao-lin (Renewal)
2004-2008: Tung Chien-hwa 董建華 (Kuomintang)
2004 def. Peng Ming-min (United Progressive Movement), Hu Chin-t’ao (Chinese Labor Congress), Chu Jung-chi (Liberals)
2008-2012: Li Ao 李敖 (Independent)
2008 def. Pao T’ung (United Progressive Movement), Tung Chien-hwa (Kuomintang), Hsü Ch’in (Chinese Labor Congress), Chu Jung-chi (Liberals), Wu Ts’ung-man (Independent)
2012-2020: Liu Hsien-pin 劉賢斌 (United Progressive Movement)
2012 def. Ma Ying-chiu (Kuomintang), Li Ao (Independent), Su Hsiao-k’ang (Chinese Labor Congress), Ch’en Chang-liang (Liberals)
2016 def. Chien Kuo-wei (Kuomintang), Meng Chien-chu (Workers and Peasants’ Democratic Party), Chou Chiang-yung (Chinese Labor Congress), Ch’en Ming-te (Liberals)
2020-2024: Chou Tsu-i 周祖翼 (United Progressive Movement)
2020 def. Ho Kwan-yiu (Kuomintang), Kuo Fei-hsiung (Chinese Labor Congress), Li K’ei-ch’iang (Left Nationalist), Wu Hsin-ying (Liberals), Wang Hu-ning (Harmony)
2024-20??: Lü Ching-hua 吕京花 (Democratic Alliance-Left Nationalist)
2024 def. Chao Hsiao-lan (Kuomintang), Chou Tsu-i (United Progressive Movement), Hsü Chang-jun (Independent), Kuo Ch’üan (New Liberals)
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First off, China! or at least the Republic of China, or South China.
After a ceasefire in 1948 which nominally ended the Chinese Civil War, the Republic lives on, yet Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT rules with an iron fist for the middle third of the century. After Chiang's death, an internal struggle ensued on who would succeed him, which only ended as the People's Republic in the north launched a surprise attack which cost them the capital of Chungking and nearly made it halfway to Canton. After uniting against a neutral military leader under Kao Kuei-yuan, the Nationalists eventually regrouped and pushed the Communists back, even beyond the original border laid out by the 1948 ceasefire (defined as the Huai River and the Qin mountains broadly), and peace ensued with minor border changes.
At the end of the Great Asian War, rather controversially, Kao gave the keys to power to Chiang's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, who would rule like his father did. His death in 1988 though stirred up trouble once again, as anti-KMT sentiment reached an all time high. After multiple protests across South China's major cities and threats of open rebellion by significant portions of the army, interim leader Yu Kuo-hwa relented and opened elections for the presidency across all of the republic, as well as calling a constitutional convention to decide the future fate of the country.
With a new constitution in hand and a fluorishing economy, South China became one of the most prosperous countries in Asia, largely thanks to developmentalist policies under the initial 16 years of consecutive United Progressive Movement rule. The UPM, a big tent, broadly liberal party, has long dominated post-Jasmine Revolution politics, only losing the presidency thrice. Nonetheless, the cracks are beginning to show, and after 12 more years of consecutive UPM rule, a hodgepodge of parties from the centre to the far-left have consolidated and formed the Democratic Alliance. With the help from the Left Nationalist party (a splinter from the UPM), Lü Ching-hua's DA-LN ticket has successfully taken the presidency and the legislature from the Greens, as the UPM are coloquially known. Under her, South China has continued cooperation with its northern neighbour and both countries have since then dropped most animosity against one another. The first major milestone of the detente between the two Chinas was a moon landing by the Joint Chinese Space Administration, the third country (countries?) to do so after the US and the USSR.
