Which government retained the majority of international recognition as the government of China until 1971?

• A. The People's Republic of China
• B. Kuomintang
• C. Chinese Communist Party
• D. Republic of China (Taiwan)

Answer: (D)

The main idea is how international recognition of which government represents China changed over time. Up to 1971, the government based in Taiwan, the Republic of China, held the majority of diplomatic recognition as China. After the civil war, the ROC retreated to Taiwan but continued to be viewed by many countries as the legitimate government of all of China, and it held the Chinese seat in the United Nations for decades. The turning point came in 1971 when the UN General Assembly recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China and expelled the ROC. From then on, formal recognition shifted toward the PRC in most countries, though Taiwan maintains unofficial relations with many states.

The other possibilities don’t fit as well because the People’s Republic of China is the state that eventually gained broader recognition after 1971, not before; the Kuomintang is a political party that led the ROC, not a government entity itself; and the Chinese Communist Party is the ruling party of the PRC, not the government recognized by most countries as China during the period in question.