The map shows the One China policy in practice. PRC (red); ROC (blue); PRC only (orange); ROC only (cyan); informal ROC relations (beige); None (gray).

One Country on Each Side (simplified Chinese: 一边一国; traditional Chinese: 一邊一國; pinyin: yī biān yī guó) was a concept espoused by Chen Shui-bian, the former President of the Republic of China (2000-2008), regarding the political status of Taiwan. It emphasised that the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (commonly known as "Taiwan") are two different countries, (namely "One China, one Taiwan"), as opposed to two separate political entities within the same country of "China".

Chen used this phrase in an August 3, 2002, telecast to the annual conference of the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations meeting in Tokyo when he stated that it needs to be clear that "with Taiwan and China on each side of the Taiwan Strait, each side is a country."^[1] His statements were made in Taiwanese, as opposed to the Mandarin, and drew a barrage of criticism from the mainland Chinese press, which had previously shied away from the type of attacks it gave to Lee Teng-hui, who promoted a similar "Special state-to-state relations". The United States also expressed serious concerns over this concept, as the US felt that this concept appeared to have departed from Chen's earlier pledge of "Four Noes and One Without".^[2]

See also[link]

• Political Status of Taiwan
• Two Chinas
• One-China policy
• Four Noes and One Without
• Four Wants and One Without
• Special non-state-to-state relations

References[link]

Links to related articles v t e Cross-Strait relations Participants People's Republic of China Republic of China Organisations Taiwan Affairs Office Mainland Affairs Council Straits Exchange Foundation Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Kuomintang Communist Party of China National Unification Council Cross-Straits Economic Trade and Culture Forum People Hu Jintao Ma Ying-jeou Chen Yunlin Chiang Pin-kung Jiang Zemin Chen Shui-bien Wang Daohan Koo Chen-fu Lee Teng-hui Lai Shin-Yuan Wang Yi Events Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) Retrocession of Taiwan (1945) 228 Incident (1947) Chinese Civil War (1946–1950) First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954–1955) Second Taiwan Strait Crisis (1958) PRC entry to the United Nations (1971) Wang-Koo summit (1993) Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995–1996) Overseas Chinese World Conference (2000-current) Anti-Secession Law (2005) Pan-Blue visits to mainland China (2005) Cross-strait charter (2005-2008) Chen-Chiang summit (2008-current) Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (2010) Concepts Political status of Taiwan Legal status of Taiwan Chinese reunification Taiwan independence 1992 Consensus Three Links One China policy Two Chinas One Country on Each Side Three Noes Six Assurances Special state-to-state relations Four Noes and One Without Zhonghua Minzu Special non-state-to-state relations Cross-strait Economic Zone v t e Politics of the Republic of China Doctrines Constitution Three Principles of the People Five Races Under One Union Government Branches Executive Premier · Vice Premier Legislative Speaker Legislators Judicial Control Examination Defunct: National Assembly Leadership President current Vice President current Parties Pan-Blue Kuomintang People First Party New Party Pan-Green Democratic Progressive Party Taiwan Solidarity Union Others Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Elections Presidential 1948 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Legislative 1948 1969 1972 1975 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2008 2012 National Assembly 1991 1996 2005 Cross-Strait One-China policy 1992 Consensus Special state-to-state relations One Country on Each Side Taiwan consensus Foreign affairs United Nations Chinese Taipei India Japan South Korea Mongolia Paraguay Singapore United States Venezuela Other topics Status Political Legal Issues Taiwan independence / Taiwanization Chinese reunification / Chinese nationalism v t e Politics of the People's Republic of China Constitution of the People's Republic of China Parties Parties Communist Party Central Committee General Secretary Central Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Central Secretariat Discipline Inspection Commission State organs National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman President Vice President State Council Premier Vice Premier Central Military Commission Chairman People's Liberation Army People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman Politics of province-level divisions Municipalities Beijing Chongqing Shanghai Tianjin Provinces Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guizhou Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Henan Hubei Hunan Jiangsu Jiangxi Jilin Liaoning Qinghai Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang Autonomous regions Guangxi Inner Mongolia Ningxia Xinjiang Tibet SARs Hong Kong Macau See also Elections

The Temple of Apollo is located at the end of Side's peninsula.

Side (Greek: Σίδη Side, Turkish: Side) was an ancient Greek city in Anatolia, in the region of Pamphylia, in what is now Antalya province, on the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It is now a resort town and one of the best-known classical sites in Turkey, near Manavgat and the village of Selimiye, 75 km from Antalya) in the province of Antalya.^[1]

It is located on the eastern part of the Pamphylian coast, which lies about 20 km east of the mouth of the Eurymedon River. Today, as in antiquity, the ancient city is situated on a small north-south peninsula about 1 km long and 400 m across.

History[link]

Strabo and Arrian both record that Side was founded by Greek settlers from Cyme in Aeolis, a region of western Anatolia. This most likely occurred in the 7th century BC. Possessing a good harbour for small-craft boats, Side's natural geography made it one of the most important places in Pamphylia and one of the most important trade centres in the region. According to Arrian, when settlers from Cyme came to Side, they could not understand the dialect. After a short while, the influence of this indigenous tongue was so great that the newcomers forgot their native Greek and started using the language of Side. Excavations have revealed several inscriptions written in this language. The inscriptions, dating from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, remain undeciphered, but testify that the local language was still in use several centuries after colonisation. Another object found in the excavations at Side, a basalt column base from the 7th century BC and attributable to the Neo-Hittites, provides further evidence of the site's early history. The name Side is Anatolian in origin and means pomegranate.

Next to no information exists concerning Side under Lydian and Persian sovereignty.

Alexander the Great[link]

The Great Gate in the middle of Side's main street.

Temple of Apollo detail.

Alexander the Great occupied Side without a struggle in 333 BC. Alexander left only a single garrison behind to occupy the city. This occupation, in turn, introduced the people of Side to Hellenistic culture, which flourished from the 4th to the 1st century BC. After Alexander's death, Side fell under the control of one of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy I Soter, who declared himself king of Egypt in 305 BC. The Ptolemaic dynasty controlled Side until it was captured by the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BC. Yet, despite these occupations, Side managed to preserve some autonomy, grew prosperous, and became an important cultural centre.

In 190 BC a fleet from the Greek island city-state of Rhodes, supported by Rome and Pergamum, defeated the Seleucid King Antiochus the Great's fleet, which was under the command of the fugitive Carthaginian general Hannibal. The defeat of Hannibal and Antiochus the Great meant that Side freed itself from the overlord-ship of the Seleucid Empire. The Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) forced Antiochus to abandon all European territories and to cede all of Asia Minor north of the Taurus Mountains to Pergamum. However, the dominion of Pergamum only reached de facto as far as Perga, leaving Eastern Pamphylia in a state of uncertain freedom. This led Attalus II Philadelphus to construct a new harbour in the city of Attalia (the present Antalya), although Side already possessed an important harbour of its own. Between 188 and 36 BC Side minted its own money, tetradrachms showing Nike and a laurel wreath (the sign of victory).

In the 1st century BC, Side reached a peak when the Cilician pirates established their chief naval base and a centre for their slave-trade.

Romans[link]

The consul Servilius Vatia defeated these brigands in 78 BC and later the Roman general Pompey in 67 BC, bringing Side under the control of Rome and beginning its second period of ascendancy, when it established and maintained a good working relationship with the Roman Empire.^[2]

Emperor Augustus reformed the state administration and placed Pamphylia and Side in the Roman province of Galatia in 25 BC, after the short reign of Amyntas of Galatia between 36 and 25 BC. Side began another prosperous period as a commercial centre in Asia Minor through its trade in olive oil. Its population grew to 60,000 inhabitants. This period would last well into the 3rd century AD. Side also established itself as a slave-trading centre in the Mediterranean. Its large commercial fleet engaged in acts of piracy, while wealthy merchants paid for such tributes as public works, monuments, and competitions as well as the games and gladiator fights. Most of the extant ruins at Side date from this period of prosperity.

One of the maps (portolani) of Piri Reis, taken from the Kitab-i Bahriye, which Piri produced in several editions, supplementing in 1520, but integrating it into subsequent editions.

Decline[link]

Side began a steady decline from the 4th century on. Even defensive walls could not stop successive invasions of highlanders from the Taurus Mountains. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Side experienced a revival, and became the seat of the Bishopric of Eastern Pamphylia. Arab fleets, nevertheless, raided and burned Side during the 7th century, contributing to its decline. The combination of earthquakes, Christian zealots and Arab raids, left the site abandoned by the 10th century, its citizens having emigrated to nearby Antalya.^[2]

In the 12th century, Side temporarily established itself once more as a large city. An inscription found on the site of the former ancient city shows a considerable Jewish population in early Byzantine times. However, Side was abandoned again after being sacked. Its population moved to Antalya, and Side became known as Eski Adalia ("Old Antalya") and was buried.

A hospital dating back to the 6th century.

This portion of the main street in Side is lined with the ruins of homes or shops, many of which feature their original mosaic tile flooring.

Ruins[link]

The great ruins are among the most notable in Asia Minor. They cover a large promontory where a wall and a moat separate it from the mainland. During medieval times, the wall and moat were repaired and the promontory houses a wealth of structures.

There are colossal ruins of a theatre complex, the largest of Pamphylia, built much like a Roman amphitheatre that relies on arches to support the sheer verticals. The Roman style was adopted because Side lacked a convenient hillside that could be hollowed out in the usual Greek fashion more typical of Asia Minor. The theatre is less preserved than the theatre at Aspendos, but it is almost as large, seating 15,000 - 20,000 people. With time and the shifting of the earth, the scena wall has collapsed over the stage and the proscenium is in a cataract of loose blocks. It was converted into an open-air sanctuary with two chapels during Byzantine times (5th-6th c.)

The well-preserved city walls provide an entrance to the site through the Hellenistic main gate (Megale Pyle) of the ancient city, although this gate from the 2nd century BC is badly damaged. Next comes the colonnaded street, whose marble columns are no longer extant; all that remains are a few broken stubs near the old Roman baths. The street leads to the a public bath, restored as a museum displaying statues and sarcophagi from the Roman period. Next is the square agora with the remains of the round Tyche and Fortuna temple (2nd c. BC), a periptery with twelve columns, in the middle. In later times it was used as a trading centre where pirates sold slaves. The remains of the theatre, which was used for gladiator fights and later as a church, and the monumental gate date back to the 2nd century. The early Roman Temple of Dionysus is near the theatre. The fountain gracing the entrance is restored. At the left side are the remains of a Byzantine Basilica. A public bath has also been restored.^[2]

The remaining ruins of Side include three temples, an aqueduct, and a nymphaeum. Side's nymphaeum – a grotto with a natural water supply dedicated to the nymphs – was an artificial grotto or fountain building of elaborate design.

There is also a virtually unknown, but expansive site, up in the Taurus foothills, several miles inland, known locally as Selacleure. Virtually unknown to the outside world and not represented on the internet at all, it is the Roman garrison, built by Mark Anthony, to support the city of Side. It covers at least a couple of square miles and is almost completely unexcavated, apart from two weeks in 1975, when the Turkish government funded two weeks of excavations. The site was, apparently, finally abandoned in the seventh century, when an earthquake caused the spring which fed the site with water to dry up completely. Many of the buildings are in remarkably good shape, particularly since, due to the lack of available stone, a significant quantity of the sites stonework contains egg and gravel based concrete blocks.

Turkish archaeologists have been excavating Side since 1947 and intermittently continue to do so.^[3]

Today[link]

In 1895 Turkish Muslim^[4][5][6] refugees from Crete moved to the ruined town and called it Selimiye. Today, Side has become a popular holiday destination and experiences a new revival.

It was a popular spot for watching the solar eclipse of March 29, 2006.

Having been the Bishopric of Eastern Pamphylia, it is still a titular see of the Roman Catholic church.

See also[link]

• Coinage of Side
• Manavgat Waterfall
• Oymapinar Dam
• Philip of Side
• Saint Probus of Side
• Sidetic language

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Side (Turkey)

• About Side and Manavgat
• Excellent Pictures - Pictures Of Side and Manavgat
• Side photos with explanations
• Hazlitt, Classical Gazetteer, "Side"
• Acceptable pictures of the museum, 105 of them
• Not bad pictures of the town, 230 of them
• Side Turkey Guide for UK Travellers

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

v t e Ancient settlements in Turkey Aegean Aegae Aizanoi Alabanda Alinda Allianoi Amorium Amyzon Antioch on the Maeander Apamea in Phrygia Aphrodisias Apollonia in Mysia Atarneus Bargylia Beycesultan Caloe Caryanda Celaenae Ceramus Colophon Cyme Didyma Docimium Ephesus Erythrae Euromus Gambrion Gryneion Halicarnassus Hierapolis Iasos Karmylissos Kaunos Klazomenai Knidos Labraunda Laodicea on the Lycus Latmus Lebedus Limantepe Magnesia on the Maeander Metropolis Miletus Myndus Myriandrus Myus Notion Nysa Oenoanda Orestias Pepuza Pergamon Perperene Phocaea Pinara Pitane Priene Sardis Sigeion Smyrna Stratonicea in Lydia Stratonicea in Caria Temnos Teos Tymion Black Sea Alaca Höyük Comana in the Pontus Euchaita Hattusa Hüseyindede Tepe Ibora Laodicea Pontica Nerik Nicopolis Pompeiopolis Salatiwara Samuha Sapinuwa Tripolis Yazılıkaya Zaliches Central Anatolia Alişar Hüyük Binbirkilise Çatalhöyük Derbe Dorylaeum Gordium Heraclea Cybistra Irenopolis Kaman-Kalehöyük Kerkenes Kültepe (Kanesh) Laodicea Combusta Mokissos Nyssa Pessinus Purushanda Tavium Tyana Eastern Anatolia Altıntepe Ani Melid Sugunia Tushpa Marmara Aegospotami Alexandria Troas Apamea Myrlea Apollonia on the Rhyndax Apros Assos Cardia Cebrene Chalcedon Cius Cyzicus Drusipara Faustinopolis Germanicopolis Lysimachia Nicomedia Sestos Skepsis Troy (Hisarlik) Mediterranean Alalakh Anazarbus Antigonia Antioch on the Orontes Antioch in Pisidia Antiochia Lamotis Antioch on the Cragus Antioch on the Pyramis Aphrodisias of Cilicia Ariassos Arsinoe Arycanda Aspendos Comana in Cappadocia Corycus (Kızkalesi) Cremna Cyrrhus Domuztepe Elaiussa Sebaste Epiphania Gözlükule Hacilar Irenopolis Issus Kandyba Karatepe Kibyra Mallus Mamure Castle Mezgitkale Mopsuestia Myra Olba Patara Perga Phaselis Rhosus Sagalassos Seleucia in Pamphylia Seleucia Pieria Seleucia Sidera Selge Side Sillyon Soli Sozopolis Tell Tayinat Termessos Tlos Xanthos Yumuktepe Southeastern Anatolia Antioch in the Taurus Antioch in Mesopotamia Apamea on the Euphrates Carchemish Çayönü Dara Edessa Göbekli Tepe Harran Kussara Nevalı Çori Sakçagözü Sam'al Samosata Sareisa Seleucia at the Zeugma Sultantepe Tille Tushhan Zeugma

Coordinates: 36°46′00″N 31°23′20″E / 36.7666667°N 31.38889°E / 36.7666667; 31.38889

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

"One country, two systems" is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping, then Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC), for the reunification of China during the early 1980s. He suggested that there would be only one China, but independent Chinese regions such as Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, could have their own capitalist economic and political systems, while the rest of China uses the socialist system. Under the suggestion, each of the three regions could continue to have its own political system, legal, economic and financial affairs, including commercial and cultural agreements with foreign countries, and would enjoy "certain rights" in foreign affairs. Taiwan could continue to maintain its own military force, thus evading recognition of Taiwan as part of the Republic of China.^[1]

Hong Kong and Macau[link]

In 1984, Deng Xiaoping proposed to apply the principle to Hong Kong in the negotiation with the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher over the future of Hong Kong when the lease of the New Territories (including New Kowloon) of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom was to expire in 1997. The same principle was proposed in talks with Portugal about Macau.

The principle is that, upon reunification, despite the practice of socialism in mainland China, both Hong Kong and Macau, which were colonies of the UK and Portugal respectively, can retain their established system under a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after reunification. What will happen after 2047 (Hong Kong) and 2049 (Macau) has never been publicly stated.

Chapter 1, Article 5 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reads:^[2]

The establishment of these regions, called special administrative regions (SARs), is authorized by Article 31 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, which states that the State may establish SARs when necessary, and that the systems to be instituted in them shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in light of the specific conditions.

The SARs of Hong Kong and Macau were formally established on 1 July 1997 and 20 December 1999 respectively, immediately after the People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed the sovereignty over the respective regions.

Framework[link]

The two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for their domestic affairs including, but not limited to, the judiciary and courts of last resort, immigration and customs, public finance, currencies and extradition. Diplomatic relations and national defense of the two SARs however, is the responsibility of the Central People's Government in Beijing.

Hong Kong continues using English common law. Macau continues using the Portuguese civil law system.

Implementation[link]

In Hong Kong, the system has been implemented through the Basic Law of Hong Kong, which serves as the "mini-constitution" of the region, and consistent with the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Similar arrangements are in place with Macau. Under the respective basic laws, the SARs have a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication. They formulate their own monetary and financial policies, maintain their own currencies, formulate their own policies on education, culture, sports, social welfare system, etc. within the framework of the basic laws.

As stipulated by the basic laws, while the Central People's Government of the PRC is responsible for foreign affairs and defense in relation to the SARs, representatives of the Government of the SARs may participate, as members of delegations of the PRC, in diplomatic negotiations that directly affect the Regions, and in other international organizations or conferences limited to states and affecting the region. For those international organizations and conferences not limited to states, the SARs may participate using the names in the form of Hong Kong, China and Macau, China. As separate economic entities, both SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are members of the World Trade Organization. Hong Kong is also one of the member economies of APEC.

The basic laws also provide constitutional protection on various fundamental human rights and freedoms. Specifically, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is given a constitutional status through the basic laws.

Some international observers and human rights organizations have expressed doubts about the future of the relative political freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong, and about the PRC's pledge to allow a high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong. They considered, for example, that the proposals in Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003 (which was withdrawn due to mass opposition) might have undermined autonomy.

Nonetheless, the governments of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong both consider the principle to have been successfully implemented, quoting official reports of both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Republic of China/Taiwan[link]

This system has also been proposed by the PRC government for Taiwan, but the Republic of China (ROC) government has refused this suggestion (it has also been claimed that the system was originally designed for Taiwan). Special provisions for the preservation of the military in Taiwan have also been proposed. All of the major parties in Taiwan, including those that lean toward Chinese reunification, have come out strongly against "One country, two systems". Some proposed "One country, two governments" which was opposed by the Chinese communist party, while some proposed the "one country" in "One country, two systems" should be ROC instead of PRC. One of the few Taiwanese who have publicly supported "one country, two systems" is novelist Li Ao.

Although the "One country, two systems" guarantees that Hong Kong's economic and political systems will not be changed for 50 years after the British handover in 1997, Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China has cited 169 cases in which they claim the PRC has breached the right of the people of Hong Kong to self-rule and severely intervened in the judicial system as well as freedom of speech.^[5]

Since the accession of President Hu Jintao, the PRC has stopped promoting immediate reunification via "one country, two systems" (although it remains official policy). The "one country, two systems" framework was not mentioned in the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China. A new policy of gradual economic integration and political exchanges is now preferred:^[6] this new policy was emphasized during the 2005 Pan-Blue visits to mainland China^[7] as well as all subsequent major cross-strait exchanges.

Comparison to proposals for Tibet[link]

The 14th Dalai Lama's 2005 proposal for "high-level autonomy" for Tibet, evolved from a position of advocating Tibetan independence, has been compared to one country, two systems. He has said that his proposals should be acceptable to China because "one country, two systems" is accommodated for in the Chinese Constitution. State media refuted this claim, pointing out that "one country, two systems" was designed for the capitalist social systems of Hong Kong and Macau, which had not ever existed in Tibet.^[8]

See also[link]

• Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China
• Basic Law of Macau
• Hong Kong Basic Law
• Hong Kong law
• Legal system of Hong Kong
• Legal system of Macau
• Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
• Special Economic Zone

References[link]

Links to related articles v t e Politics of the People's Republic of China Constitution of the People's Republic of China Parties Parties Communist Party Central Committee General Secretary Central Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Central Secretariat Discipline Inspection Commission State organs National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman President Vice President State Council Premier Vice Premier Central Military Commission Chairman People's Liberation Army People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman Politics of province-level divisions Municipalities Beijing Chongqing Shanghai Tianjin Provinces Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guizhou Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Henan Hubei Hunan Jiangsu Jiangxi Jilin Liaoning Qinghai Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang Autonomous regions Guangxi Inner Mongolia Ningxia Xinjiang Tibet SARs Hong Kong Macau See also Elections v t e Politics of the Republic of China Doctrines Constitution Three Principles of the People Five Races Under One Union Government Branches Executive Premier · Vice Premier Legislative Speaker Legislators Judicial Control Examination Defunct: National Assembly Leadership President current Vice President current Parties Pan-Blue Kuomintang People First Party New Party Pan-Green Democratic Progressive Party Taiwan Solidarity Union Others Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Elections Presidential 1948 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Legislative 1948 1969 1972 1975 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2008 2012 National Assembly 1991 1996 2005 Cross-Strait One-China policy 1992 Consensus Special state-to-state relations One Country on Each Side Taiwan consensus Foreign affairs United Nations Chinese Taipei India Japan South Korea Mongolia Paraguay Singapore United States Venezuela Other topics Status Political Legal Issues Taiwan independence / Taiwanization Chinese reunification / Chinese nationalism v t e Cross-Strait relations Participants People's Republic of China Republic of China Organisations Taiwan Affairs Office Mainland Affairs Council Straits Exchange Foundation Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Kuomintang Communist Party of China National Unification Council Cross-Straits Economic Trade and Culture Forum People Hu Jintao Ma Ying-jeou Chen Yunlin Chiang Pin-kung Jiang Zemin Chen Shui-bien Wang Daohan Koo Chen-fu Lee Teng-hui Lai Shin-Yuan Wang Yi Events Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) Retrocession of Taiwan (1945) 228 Incident (1947) Chinese Civil War (1946–1950) First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954–1955) Second Taiwan Strait Crisis (1958) PRC entry to the United Nations (1971) Wang-Koo summit (1993) Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995–1996) Overseas Chinese World Conference (2000-current) Anti-Secession Law (2005) Pan-Blue visits to mainland China (2005) Cross-strait charter (2005-2008) Chen-Chiang summit (2008-current) Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (2010) Concepts Political status of Taiwan Legal status of Taiwan Chinese reunification Taiwan independence 1992 Consensus Three Links One China policy Two Chinas One Country on Each Side Three Noes Six Assurances Special state-to-state relations Four Noes and One Without Zhonghua Minzu Special non-state-to-state relations Cross-strait Economic Zone

Randy Houser
Houser in April 2010
Background information
Birth name	Shawn Randolph Houser[1]
Born	(1975-12-18) December 18, 1975 (age 36)[2]
Origin	Lake, Mississippi, USA
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar
Years active	2004-present
Labels	MCA Nashville, Show Dog-Universal, Stoney Creek
Associated acts	Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, John Michael Montgomery, Justin Moore, Jerrod Niemann

Shawn Randolph "Randy" Houser (born December 18, 1975) is an American country music artist. Signed to the Universal South Records label in 2008, he charted the single "Anything Goes" that year. This song, a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country singles charts, is the title track to his debut album Anything Goes, which has also produced his first Top 10 hit in "Boots On". Houser also co-wrote the singles "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" for Trace Adkins, "Back That Thing Up" for Justin Moore and "My Cowboy" for country-pop artist Jessie James.

Biography[link]

Randy Houser was born in Lake, Mississippi. His father, a professional musician as well, performed at various local venues.^[3] Houser fronted his own band by age thirteen, and while attending East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi, he formed another band called 10 lb. Biscuit.^[4]

By 2002, Houser moved to Nashville, Tennessee to begin a songwriting career. One of his first cuts as a songwriter was "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", which he co-wrote with Jamey Johnson and Dallas Davidson.^[5] This song was recorded by Trace Adkins on his 2005 album Songs About Me, and was a Top 5 single for him.^[4] After this song's success, Houser shifted his focus to performing, and started playing at local gigs in Nashville. He was briefly signed to MCA Nashville but did not release anything on the label.^[6]

Personal Life[link]

Houser Married Jessa Lee Yantz on Sept 2, 2011. The couple welcomed a son named West Yantz Houser on March 6, 2012.^[7]

Music career[link]

[edit] Debut album: Anything Goes (2008-2009)

Houser subsequently signed to Universal South Records in 2008. His first single, "Anything Goes", was released in May of that year.^[8] It was co-written by Brice Long and John Wiggins.^[4] Houser performed the song on Late Show with David Letterman in August after host David Letterman heard it on a satellite radio station.^[9] The song entered Top 40 on the Billboard country charts that same month. His debut album, also titled Anything Goes, was released in November, at which point the title track was in the Top 20 on the country charts. "Boots On" was released as the album's second single in February 2009, and became his first top ten hit in July 2009. Houser also co-wrote "Back That Thing Up", the debut single for Valory Music Group artist Justin Moore. This song peaked at number 38 on Hot Country Songs in December 2008.

Houser received two nominations for the 2009 CMA Awards, including New Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for his Top 5 hit "Boots On".

[edit] Second album: They Call Me Cadillac (2009-2010)

Houser, along with Jamey Johnson and Jessie James co-wrote James' third single from her self-titled debut album, "My Cowboy". The song was released in late October 2009, and was also released as a music video. Also in October 2009, Houser released his third single. The song titled "Whistlin' Dixie", is the lead-off single to Houser's second studio album, They Call Me Cadillac. It debuted at number 59 on the Billboard country charts before the initial release date of November 2, 2009. It peaked at number 31 in January 2010. After it came "I'm All About It," which peaked at number 49 and was not included on the album. Houser's fifth single, "A Man Like Me," was co-written by Houser with Danny Green and Jameson Clark.

2011-present[link]

In 2011, Houser released the song "In God's Time", which was the lead-off single to his upcoming, untitled third album. It peaked at number 54 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Houser left Show Dog-Universal in 2011 and signed with Broken Bow Records' Stoney Creek division.^[10]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^ACurrent single.

Music videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website

Blake Shelton
Shelton in April 2010
Background information
Birth name	Blake Tollison Shelton
Born	(1976-06-18) June 18, 1976 (age 36)[1] Ada, Oklahoma, United States
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Giant, Warner Bros. Nashville, Reprise Nashville
Associated acts	Bobby Braddock, Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green
Website	blakeshelton.com

Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This song was the first single from his gold-certified debut album, which also produced two more Top 20 hits. Although the album was released on Giant Records Nashville, Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records Nashville after Giant closed in late 2001.

His second and third albums, 2003's The Dreamer (his first for Warner Bros. proper) and 2004's Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill, were each certified gold as well. Shelton's fourth album, Pure BS, was issued in 2007, and re-issued in 2008 with a cover of Michael Bublé's pop hit "Home" as one of the bonus tracks. This cover was also that album's third single. A fifth album, Startin' Fires, was released in November 2008. It was followed by the extended plays Hillbilly Bone and All About Tonight in 2010, and the album Red River Blue in 2011. He is currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green.

Overall, Shelton has charted 17 singles on the country charts, including eleven Number One hits: "Austin" (2001), "The Baby" (2003), "Some Beach" (2004–2005), "Home" (2008), "She Wouldn't Be Gone" (2009), "Hillbilly Bone" (2010), a duet with Trace Adkins, "All About Tonight" (2010), "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" (2011)", "Honey Bee" (2011), "God Gave Me You" (2011), and "Drink on It" (2011-2012). Additionally, three more of his singles have reached Top Ten: a cover version of Conway Twitty's "Goodbye Time", "Nobody but Me", and "I'll Just Hold On".

He also covered "Footloose" for the movie remake in 2011.

Early life[link]

Shelton was born in Ada, Oklahoma, to Dick, a used car dealer, and Dorothy, a beauty salon owner. He began singing at an early age and by age 12, he learned to play guitar. By age sixteen, Shelton had received a Denbo Diamond Award in his home state.^[1] On November 13, 1990, his older brother Richie, who was 24 at the time, died in a car accident. He has an older sister, Endy. At age 17, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in pursuit of a singing career.

Musical career[link]

Shelton performing at the Crawford City Fair in August 2005

[edit] 1998–2002: Blake Shelton

After several years in Nashville, he signed to Giant Records in 1998. In 2001, he was slated to release a song entitled "I Wanna Talk About Me" as a single. Staff at the label considered the song unsuitable for a lead-off single, however, and the song was eventually recorded by Toby Keith, whose version was a Number One hit.^[2]

Instead, Giant released "Austin" as Shelton's debut single. Shortly after its release, however, Giant Records was dissolved, and Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records, the parent company. "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. His self-titled debut album also produced the No.18 "All Over Me" (which Shelton co-wrote with fellow country artist Earl Thomas Conley) and the No.14 "Ol' Red", which was a cover version of a George Jones song. Although Shelton's rendition of "Ol' Red" was not a major radio hit, he considers it his signature song, and it has become popular in concert.^[3] Blake Shelton is certified gold by the RIAA.^[1]

[edit] 2002–2003: The Dreamer

Shelton's second album, The Dreamer, was first released on February 4, 2003 on Warner Bros. Records. Its lead-off single, "The Baby", reached Number One on the country charts, holding that position for three weeks. Although the second and third singles ("Heavy Liftin'" and "Playboys of the Southwestern World", respectively) only reached No.32 and #24, The Dreamer earned gold certification as well. He, along with Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry, sang guest vocals on Tracy Byrd's mid-2003 single "The Truth About Men".

[edit] 2004–2006: Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill

Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill was the title of Shelton's third studio album, released in 2004.^[1] Its lead-off single, the Harley Allen co-write "When Somebody Knows You That Well", peaked at No.37 on the country charts, while the follow-up "Some Beach" became his third No.1 hit, holding that position for four weeks. It was followed by a cover of Conway Twitty's 1988 single "Goodbye Time".^[4] Both this cover and its followup, "Nobody but Me", reached Top Ten for Shelton as well. As with his first two albums, Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill was certified gold. Accompanying the album's release was a video collection entitled Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill: A Video Collection.^[1]

On December 18, 2005, several of Shelton's songs, including "Nobody but Me", appeared on the TV movie The Christmas Blessing, starring Neil Patrick Harris, Rebecca Gayheart, Angus T. Jones, and Rob Lowe. Shelton had a small role at the end of the movie, playing himself at a benefit concert, singing "Nobody but Me".

[edit] 2006–2008: Pure BS

Shelton issued his fourth studio album, Pure BS, in early 2007.^[1] Unlike with his first three albums, which were produced entirely by Bobby Braddock, Shelton worked with Braddock, Brent Rowan, and Paul Worley as producers for this album. Its first two singles—"Don't Make Me" and "The More I Drink"—were both Top 20 hits on the country charts, respectively reaching No.12 and #19. Also in late 2007, Shelton made appearances on television shows: first as a judge on the talent competition Nashville Star, and later on Clash of the Choirs.

Pure BS was re-released in 2008 with three bonus tracks, including a cover of Michael Bublé's hit single "Home". This cover, released in early 2008 as the album's third single, became his fourth No.1 hit in July.^[5]

[edit] 2008–2009: Startin' Fires

"Home" was followed in August 2008 by the single "She Wouldn't Be Gone", his 14th chart entry and his fifth No. 1 hit. It was the first time in his career that he had two consecutive Number Ones. "She Wouldn't Be Gone" is the lead-off to Shelton's fifth studio album, Startin' Fires, which has also produced the single "I'll Just Hold On." This album also includes "Bare Skin Rug," a duet with Lambert.^[6] It was produced by Scott Hendricks, except for one track which was produced by Brent Rowan, and another ("I Don't Care", which carried over from Pure BS) was produced by Braddock.^[7]

[edit] 2009–2011: Hillbilly Bone and All About Tonight

After "I'll Just Hold On" fell off the chart in October 2009, Blake Shelton released a duet with Trace Adkins titled "Hillbilly Bone." It was the lead-off single on Shelton's EP, Hillbilly Bone, released on March 2, 2010 through Reprise Records Nashville. After "Hillbilly Bone" reached No.1 in February, came the August release of "All About Tonight", the lead-off single to his EP of the same name. In September, he released the second single from All About Tonight, "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking", his 18th single release. He released his first greatest hits album, Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton in November 2010.

Shelton was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry during the September 28, 2010 "Country Comes Home" concert celebrating reopening of the Grand Ole Opry House after the Cumberland River flooded the Opry House in May 2010. The formal invitation was extended on his Twitter account and was announced by Opry star Trace Adkins.^[8] He was formally inducted by Adkins at the Saturday, October 23, 2010 Opry performance.

Shelton recorded the title track for the "Footloose" remake film released on October 14th, 2011.

Blake Shelton appeared on the 44th Annual Country Music Awards on November 10, 2010 where he performed "All About Tonight" and won Male Vocalist of the Year.^[9]

Shelton will serve as a judge/coach to singers on the 2011 NBC reality television series The Voice.^[10]

[edit] 2011–present: Red River Blue

Blake Shelton released the album Red River Blue on July 12, 2011, led by the single, "Honey Bee". The song received 138,000 downloads in its first week and was certified gold in its seventh week, setting a new record for the fastest gold certification by a male country singer.^[11] On June 13, 2011, in its tenth chart week, "Honey Bee" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming his ninth #1 and his fastest-climbing. The album was expected to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with around 110,000 copies sold.^[12] "God Gave Me You", a cover of a Dave Barnes song, was the album's second single; it also reached #1. "Drink On It", the fifth song on the album, hit #1 in April 2012, giving him his 11th #1 song. On April 30, 2012, Blake performed "Over" on the Semi-finals of the second season of The Voice. "Over" later debuted at #53 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs on 19 May, 2012.^[13]

Blake Shelton is a coach on the NBC show The Voice. His finalist Dia Frampton came in second. He returned for a second season of the show with Jermaine Paul as the champion ^[14]. Frampton also recorded a track with Shelton titled "I Will" on her album Red, released December 6, 2011.

Blake Shelton took the stage with Miranda Lambert at Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012 to open the event by singing a duet version of “America the Beautiful”. It marked their first TV performance since their headlining nuptials in May 2011.

Television[link]

[edit] 2011–present: The Voice

In 2011, Shelton became a coach on NBC's new show, The Voice, along with Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine.

In season 1, Shelton became the runner-up coach as his final team member, Dia Frampton, won second place of the season.

In season 2, Shelton became the winning coach as his final team member, Jermaine Paul, was declared winner of the season.

Season 3 of The Voice will air in the fall of 2012. All four judges have signed on to return. ^[15]

Personal life[link]

Shelton married longtime girlfriend Kaynette Gern on November 17, 2003. They divorced in 2006.

Shelton is now married to fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, whom he met at the CMT's 100 Greatest Duets Concert.^[16] Lambert also sang background vocals on his cover of Michael Bublé's song, "Home", which became a Number 1 single on the Hot Country Songs chart. On May 9, 2010, after dating for four years,^[17] Shelton proposed to Miranda, after seeking (and receiving) her father's blessing.^[17][18]

Shelton and Lambert were married on May 14, 2011 at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas.^[17] 550 people were in attendance, including many celebrities, such as Reba McEntire, Cee Lo Green, Martina McBride, Kelly Clarkson, Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley, and the Bellamy Brothers. After the wedding, Shelton expressed his joy stating, "I wanted to be married to Miranda the day I proposed. Finally, it's official!"^[19] Blake and Miranda reside in the small town of Tishomingo, OK, located in the Texoma area.

On January 17, 2012, Shelton's father, Dick, 71, died in Oklahoma, following a period of declining health.^[20][21]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Blake Shelton (2001)
• The Dreamer (2003)
• Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill (2004)
• Pure BS (2007)
• Startin' Fires (2008)
• Red River Blue (2011)

Extended plays

• Blake Shelton: Collector's Edition (2008)
• Hillbilly Bone (2010)
• All About Tonight (2010)

Compilation albums

• Blake Shelton – The Essentials (2009)
• Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton (2010)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Blake Shelton at the Internet Movie Database