Both the Free China Journal and the Free China Weekly often referred to the polity as the "Republic of China on Taiwan" prior to Lee Teng-hui taking office as the first Taiwan-born president of the Republic of China. During Lee's administration, the term remained in use, and he used the term in his speech at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States in June 1995.Text of Lee's Cornell address , TAIWAN INFO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1995-6-16國家定位　李前總統︰ROC在台灣, TVBS, 2003/12/21 It was used to identify the Republic of China with its remaining major component – the island of Taiwan, as opposed to its decades-long claim to all China since losing the civil war in 1949. Prior to this speech, the government officials used "Republic of China" when the name of the state was used. Lee's usage is considered as a departure from the convention, as this usage can be interpreted in the sense that the Republic of China's sovereignty does not extend to mainland China, which the People's Republic of China controls.
