<P> 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 recognized the ROC while the communist bloc and third world countries generally recognized the PRC . This gradually shifted and today only 19 UN member states recognize the ROC while the PRC is recognized by the United Nations and the majority (175) of sovereign states around the world and Palestine . Both the ROC and the PRC maintain the requirement of recognizing its view of the One - China policy to establish or maintain diplomatic relations . </P> <P> The PRC was established on 1 October 1949, when the Chinese Civil War was still underway, and the seat of Government of the Republic of China was not relocated to Taipei until December 1949 . All the countries that recognized the new PRC government in 1949 were communist states . </P>

When was the people's republic of china recognized