 Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to really realize peaceful reunification with Taiwan. It comes a week after tensions with the Chinese-cleaned island that sparked international concern. The democratically ruled Taiwan has come under increased military and political pressure from Beijing to accept its sovereignty. But Taipei has pledged to defend their freedom and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Taiwan maintains that it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its former name. The Republic of China was established in 1912 and its government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the communist who set up today's People's Republic of China.