"De facto" recognition of states, rather than "de jure", is rare. "De jure" recognition is stronger, while "de facto" recognition is more tentative and recognizes only that a government exercises control over a territory. An example of the difference is when the United Kingdom recognized the Soviet state "de facto" in 1921, but "de jure" only in 1924. Another example is the state of Israel in 1948, whose government was immediately recognized "de facto" by the United States and three days later "de jure" by Soviet. Also, the Republic of China, commonly known as "Taiwan", is generally recognized as "de facto" independent and sovereign, but is not universally recognized as "de jure" independent due to the complex political status of Taiwan related to the United Nation's withdrawal of recognition in favor of the People's Republic of China in 1971.