The Official Name of The Republic of China written by Dr. Sun Yat-sen

The Republic of China (中華民國) was founded on 1 January 1912. Two thousand years of imperial rule was finally eradicated, giving birth to the first republic in Asia. Since the founding of the Republic of China, there has not been a day without great turmoil nor peril. However the Free China that the Republic of China represents continually summons courageous men and women who are determined to save China. In a period of over one hundred and ten years, the Republic of China has been the champion and defender of the spirit of Chinese civilization, the custodian of Chinese cultural orthodoxy and heritage, the practitioner of democratic political system for the Chinese people.

The national name of the Republic of China, is a profile of the Principle of Democracy propagated by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (國父孫中山先生 1866-1925), Father of the Republic of China. In 1905, when the revolutionary organization T’ung-meng Society (同盟會) was holding preparatory meetings in Tokyo, Dr. Sun pronounced in Min-pao Newspaper (民報) The Three Principles of the People (三民主義): Nationalism (民族主義), Democracy (民權主義) and Livelihood (民生主義); and The Five-Power Constitution (五權憲法) as principles of the new nation. On 30 July 1905 during the inaugural meeting of T’ung-meng Society, Dr. Sun first put forward the name of the Republic of China.

Dr. Sun wrote in the article Chinese Must Save the Country by Means of Moral Integrity: 

“Gentlemen, you are naturally aware that the Republic of China is different to the Empire of China. An Empire is under the rule of one person the emperor; a Republic is under the rule of four million.”

Four million is a reference to the total population of China at that time.

Dr. Sun further wrote in The Meaning of the Republic of China:

“Citizens will have the right to vote and elect government officials, citizens will have the right to remove government officials, citizens will have the right to introduce and adopt legislations, citizens will have the right to revise and abolish legislations. These are the four great civil rights. The country can be called a genuine Republic only when she has attained these four great civil rights.”

On 1 January in the 36th year of the Republic (1947), the National Government promulgated the Constitution of the Republic of China. Article 1 of the General Provisions in Chapter 1 reads:

“The Republic of China, founded on The Three Principles of the People, shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people.”

The Republic of China is the legal name of China, the official name of China.

The Republic of China is the rightful name of Free China, the rightful name of Democratic China, the rightful name of Cultural China, the rightful name of Confucian China that embodies the four Confucian Anchors of Propriety (禮), Righteousness (義), Honesty (廉) and Shamefulness (恥). The Republic of China is the Timeless China in the heart of every Chinese, irrelevant of residentship. The Republic of China is the rightful name of Future China, to be reborn, when mainland China exterminates the one party state.

Code of Conduct for Young People written by President Chiang Kai-shek

The survival of a country, the robust development of a democratic system, must be complemented by the high minded ideals of Civic Education. In a democratic election, if citizens exercise their votes only on the logic of personal prejudices and benefits, ignoring the interests of minorities, the notions of right and wrong, the concept of justice, then politics will be abominable, society will be despicable. In a government, if officials from different rankings enter civil service based only on the calculations of personal ambitions and benefits, even though the country has realized a democratic system, with comparatively more legal supervisions on the excesses of power and interests, the government will still not be honest nor just, the people will still not be secure nor content. Through Civic Education, Civic Virtues can be nurtured, especially starting from a young age, and this is the true long-term hundred years’ plan for a country. Through Civic Education, Civic Conscience can be fostered, and this is the most important power to safeguard foreign policies and domestic policies of a country.

As early as September in the 24th year of the Republic (1935), when Chairman Chiang Kai-shek (國民政府軍事委員會 蔣介石委員長 1887-1975) was commander of the O-mei Officers Training Corps (峨嵋軍官訓練團), he collaborated with Tai Chi-t’ao (戴季陶 1891-1949) to write the Code of Conduct for the Scouts of China (中國童子軍守則). In the same year on 12 November, the birth anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek directed all members of the Chinese Kuomintang to read and practice the Code of Conduct for the Scouts of China, and on 18th November, during the Fifth National Congress of the Chinese Kuomintang, the Code of Conduct for the Scouts of China was adopted to become the Code of Conduct for Members of the Chinese Kuomintang (中國國民黨黨員守則).

In the 27th year of the Republic (1938), Ch’en Li-fu (陳立夫 1900-2001), minister of education, believed that the Code of Conduct for Members of the Chinese Kuomintang was equally suitable for young people, and should be introduced to schools nationwide. The Ministry of Education then revised the title to Code of Conduct for Young People.

At a time when our society is in urgent need of Civic Education, Civic Virtues and Civic Conscience, the Code of Conduct for Young People can still be of great relevance. The Code of Conduct for Young People is not only suitable for young people, but in fact suitable for all. The twelve codes in the Code of Conduct are hereby listed, to be mottoes for the nationals of the Republic of China:

1.Loyalty and courage are the foundations for love of the country.

2.Filial piety is the foundation for harmony in the family.

3.Benevolence is the foundation for interaction with the world.

4.Truthfulness and Justice are the foundations for building a career.

5.Harmony and peace are the foundations for conducting oneself.

6.Propriety is the foundation for attending work.

7.Obedience is the foundation for being responsible.

8.Diligence and frugality are the foundations for servicing people.

9.Cleanliness is the foundation for healthy living.

10.Helping people is the foundation for happiness.

11.Knowledge is the foundation for benefiting the world.

12.Perseverance is the foundation for success.