[dbllxr]

> Both sides see themselves as the rightful Chinese government

Tricky subject here. The statement might sound true but has very very different sentiments on both sides.

For the Chinese gov., Taiwan is a province of China, "the rightful Chinese government" extends its jurisdiction over all Chinese territories, including Taiwan. However, from Taiwan's perspective, Taiwan and mainland China have two different governments (the stress is on "Taiwan is not part of China", not there is only one rightful Chinese gov,). In fact, if you ask anyone in Taiwan today, they are more likely to refer to the island as Taiwan (instead of "Republic of China") and themselves Taiwanese.

[ElBarto]

The formal position is the same on both sides.

When dealing with legal matters (like travelling or trading) this is what counts.