Thirty-six volumes of A History of the Republic of China have been published by Zhonghua Book Company, ending a three-decade effort by Chinese scholars, the People's Daily reported.

Sixteen volumes are about the history proper (1912-1949), twelve about the chronicle of the big events and eight about historical figures. The work has been hailed as one of most significant academic achievements in modern China by Chinese and foreign scholars.

Wang Chaoguang, a co-editor-in-chief said that their study aimed to give truthful, concise recounts of historical events, and fair and accessible analyses. He said that they made full use of available sources dating back to late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), some of them found in Taiwan and overseas.

As for the controversial figure, Chang Kai-shek, Wang vowed that their work gave a three-dimensional, comprehensive, subjective portrayal of Chang instead of an approach of uniformity.