Taiwan warns citizens against China’s WWII events over ‘distorted’ history

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Friday reinforced a call from Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng for citizens to reject participation in China’s commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, including a military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square set on Sept. 3.

Lai declared that “aggression only leads to defeat” and said Taiwan’s future must be decided solely by its people. Earlier that day, Chiu released a video accusing Beijing of using the anniversary for political purposes. “The Chinese Communist regime has repeatedly distorted the facts in recent years, claiming that the war against Japan was led by the Communist Party, and has even fabricated the notion that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China,” Chiu said.

For the Taiwanese government, this distortion erases history and undermines its sovereignty. Chiu stressed that the Republic of China government, which ruled China during the war and now governs from Taipei, led the fight against Japan with Allied powers, while the People’s Republic of China did not yet exist. After losing the civil war to Mao Zedong in 1949, the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan, where its official name remains in use today.

Chiu urged Taiwanese to “unite and jointly defend national sovereignty and dignity” by rejecting Beijing’s invitations and instead take part in Taiwan’s own remembrance events. Lai reinforced that position by banning current and former government officials from attending China’s parade and warning that violators could face penalties such as pension loss.