The
Kuomintang (
KMT), also referred to as the
Guomindang (
GMD), the
Nationalist Party of China (
NPC) or the
Chinese Nationalist Party (
CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and then in Taiwan since 1949. It was the sole ruling party in China during the Republican Era from 1928 to 1949, when most of the Chinese mainland was under its control. The party retreated from the mainland to Taiwan on 7 December 1949, following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Chiang Kai-shek declared martial law and retained its authoritarian rule over Taiwan under the
Dang Guo system until democratic reforms were enacted in the 1980s and full democratization in the 1990s. In Taiwanese politics today, the KMT is a centre-right to right-wing party, and is the largest party in the Pan-Blue Coalition. The KMT's primary rival in elections is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its allies in the Pan-Green Coalition. As of 2023, the KMT is currently the largest opposition party in the Legislative Yuan. The current chairman is Eric Chu. The party is pro-ROC.