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Alcott Wei

Beijing is inviting guests from Taiwan to a key commemoration of Japan’s surrender of sovereignty over the island 80 years ago, despite warnings from Taipei against attendance.
The Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) in Beijing announced on Wednesday that guests from the island would be invited to attend the “Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Restoration of Taiwan”, which falls on Saturday.
But the actual commemoration may not take place on that exact date, according to past practice.
Visits and exchange activities will also be organised before and after the event, according to TAO.
“The restoration of Taiwan is an important achievement of the victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression,” spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said.
“It is a great victory forged through the unremitting and bloody struggles of the entire Chinese people, including our Taiwanese compatriots. It deserves to be commemorated by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
“Taiwan Restoration Day” refers to October 25, 1945, when Beijing’s then ruling Kuomintang accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in Taiwan, ending an occupation dating back to 1895.
But four years later, the KMT fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war with the communists.
For at least the past 40 years, Beijing has held commemorative events nearly every five years and invited some Taiwanese representatives to participate. A fourth-ranking official from Beijing attended the events in 2015 and 2020.
The 2020 event was attended by members of Beijing-friendly political parties from Taiwan, including the honorary chairman of the New Party, although these parties have no seats in the present legislature.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has warned the Taiwanese public against attending the anniversary celebrations, seeking to prevent support for what it describes as Beijing’s propaganda efforts targeting Taiwan.
Taipei’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced last Thursday that the government had banned public officials from travelling to mainland China to participate in the commemorative activities.
It also urged school staff, political parties and others to refrain from participating in activities led by mainland China or those that echoed Beijing’s stand on cross-strait ties.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, and has stepped up military and political pressure on the island since William Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning DPP came to office in May last year.
Most countries, including Taiwan’s main weapons supplier the United States, do not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent state. However, Washington is opposed to any attempt to seize Taiwan by force and is legally bound to supply the island with defensive weapons.
Lai has angered Beijing by declaring that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland “are not subordinate to each other” and has also described the mainland as a “foreign hostile force”.
It is not yet known who will attend the event from Taiwan, but a similar cross-strait controversy erupted last month, after Taipei issued a warning against attending Beijing’s Victory Day parade on September 3 citing propaganda efforts. Beijing condemned and refuted the allegation.
Former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu and leaders from the smaller New Party, Labour Party of Taiwan and others attended the parade in defiance of the warning.

However, Taipei did not actually punish these individuals. MAC stated that although Hung had served as vice-speaker of Taiwan’s legislature, her position fell outside the scope of laws restricting retired Taiwanese officials from attending official celebrations hosted by Beijing.
Taiwanese social media influencer Chen Chih-han, known for his pro-Beijing views in recent years, announced on Monday that he would travel to the mainland on Saturday for a 12-day visit.
Meanwhile, in a clear rebuttal of Beijing’s celebration, MAC noted that October 25 also marked the 76th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Guningtou, in which Taiwan-based KMT troops successfully blocked the People’s Liberation Army from landing on Quemoy, a Taiwan-controlled offshore island also known as Kinmen.
“On October 25, 1949, our army and people united as one, successfully resisted the invading communist forces and safeguarded the sovereignty of the Republic of China,” it said, using the official title of Taiwan.
“Remembering this history and resisting annexation by invaders is the true meaning of commemorating this day.”


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‘Great victory deserves to be commemorated by compatriots on both sides’ of strait, Taiwan Affairs Office says


‘Great victory deserves to be commemorated by compatriots on both sides’ of strait, Taiwan Affairs Office says.
