Baseball is a major sport in Taiwan that is often characterized as the national sport (Chinese: 國球). It was introduced during the Japanese rule era around 1897 and gained popularity over time, culminating in some successes of Taiwanese teams in the Japanese system. The sport remained popular following the retreat of the Republic of China to Taiwan despite the Kuomintang (KMT) government's deliberate policy of removing cultural links to Japan.
In the shifting international environment that eventually led to the ROC's departure from the United Nations, the KMT government hijacked baseball as a tool for nation-building, pouring massive resources into the sport in the hopes of forging a stronger national identity.
The highest level of baseball in Taiwan is the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) founded in 1989.