Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China

Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has had a diplomatic tug-of-war with its rival in Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC). Throughout the Cold War, both governments claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all China and allowed countries to recognize either one or the other. Until the 1970s, most Western countries in the Western Bloc recognized the ROC while the Eastern Bloc and Third World countries generally recognized the PRC. This gradually shifted and today only 11 UN member states recognize the ROC while the PRC is recognized by the United Nations, as well as 181 UN member states (including 18 G20 member states^[a]), Cook Islands, Niue and the State of Palestine. The PRC maintains the requirement of recognizing its view of the One China policy to establish or maintain diplomatic relations.