This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities announced on June 24 that they will seize the opportunity to hold commemorative activities, including a grand military parade on September 3 at Tiananmen Square. Experts pointed out that the CCP continues to spread massive lies about the history of the war and expose its underlying political calculations.
Major General Wu Zeke, Deputy Director of the Operations Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of the CCP, revealed that there will be “new types of combat forces” participating in the parade, and he mentioned that the “Nationalist Army of China also played a very important role in the War of Resistance Against Japan,” and they will “invite Nationalist veterans of the war to attend the event,” and so on.
According to the information released by the CCP State Council Information Office, the authorities have planned 10 commemorative activities throughout the second half of the year.
Additionally, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the CCP also claimed that the recovery of Taiwan is an important achievement of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, stating that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory.
On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered after its defeat in World War II. General Ando Rikichi, who served as the representative of the surrendering party, and was also the Governor-General of Taiwan and Commander of the Japanese 10th Army, surrendered to the chief accepting officer Chen Yi on October 25 at the Taipei Guest House (now the Zhongshan Hall) and signed the surrender document. This marked the end of the Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan and the beginning of the post-war era; the government of the Republic of China referred to this event as the “Recovery of Taiwan.”
The Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China responded in writing through the Central News Agency, stating, “The War of Resistance Against Japan was led by the Republic of China, and the CCP made no contribution at all. No matter how much resources the CCP spends on celebrating, it cannot cover up the ironclad historical facts.”
Regarding the CCP’s invitation to Nationalist veterans of the war to attend the parade, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense, Chiu Kuo-cheng, stated yesterday morning that the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan was achieved under the leadership of the Republic of China, without a doubt. He pointed out that the CCP has always used united front tactics to divide the unity of Taiwan society, and he hopes that the public and retired military personnel will be vigilant and not be swayed.
China expert Wang He told Epoch Times that the CCP’s high-profile propaganda of the 80th anniversary of the war, and the promotion of Taiwan’s recovery, demonstrates concrete political ambitions.
“The existence of the Republic of China government, which recovered Taiwan, on Taiwan challenges the legitimacy of the CCP regime, so the CCP must rewrite this history. It seeks to link the victory of the world war with the current pressure on Taiwan, manipulate public opinion, and conduct a cognitive operation worldwide.”
Moreover, he believes that the CCP’s continued use of military intimidation and psychological warfare against Taiwan for so many years has had little effect on most Taiwanese people. With Western countries considering the Taiwan Strait issue key to global stability and peace, the pressure on the CCP is increasing. Especially with significant changes in CCP’s internal politics, Xi Jinping may be stepping down, the CCP is now heavily promoting the war of resistance, playing defense as offense.
“It is currently in a very difficult situation – retreating would mean a collapse like a house of cards, so it is holding on tightly.”
Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of National Defense and Security Studies, told the Epoch Times that the CCP’s emphasis on the war of resistance is actually about seizing the leadership of the Republic of China.
He explained that for the mainland of China, the People’s Republic of China has replaced the Republic of China. If the leadership of the resistance is in Taiwan, it proves that the Republic of China has not been eliminated, which would invalidate the PRC’s claim to replace the sovereignty of the Republic of China. However, when the victory of the resistance occurred, the PRC had not yet been established, and this is the most feared aspect for the CCP. Therefore, President Lai of the Republic of China has always emphasized that Taiwan and the mainland do not subordinate to each other, which touches on a sensitive point for the CCP.
Shen Mingshi also believes that the CCP’s emphasis on the war of resistance or the recovery of Taiwan is because it is the basis for its united front against Taiwan or peaceful reunification, currently strengthening its propaganda, highlighting that the cross-strait issue is still a continuation of the civil war between the CCP and the Republic of China.
Su Ziyun, Director of the Strategic and Resources Department of the Institute of Taiwan National Defense and Security Studies, told the Epoch Times that the CCP wants to seize Japan’s surrender date memorial to seize the legitimacy of the victory in the War of Resistance. This itself is a form of cognitive warfare, further dividing different ethnic groups in Taiwan internally, while also showcasing its military muscle.
He believes that just as Victory Day in Europe does not include a military parade, but rather focuses on memorial activities praying for peace, Taiwan can also consider not having a military parade, but emphasizing a commemorative perspective on peace, which is a common approach adopted by democratic countries.
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, the full-scale War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in China erupted. Under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Government, the National Revolutionary Army fought a bloody battle for several years, eventually winning the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Public records show that during the 8-year resistance, the Nationalist Government led National Revolutionary Army engaged in 22 major battles with the Japanese, 1,117 major combats, and 38,931 minor battles. According to the statistics from the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China in 1946, the total number of national military personnel who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield and died from injuries amounted to 3,650,465, in addition to the loss of all navy vessels and almost all naval personnel, as well as the loss of 2,468 aircraft and most of the pilots by the air force. Even senior military officers of the national army, 206 died in action.
In comparison, according to self-reported statistics by the CCP, over 610,000 enemy-counter-Japanese armed forces were killed or injured. In the CCP’s statistics, only one senior officer, Zu Quan, died during the resistance against Japan. However, the credibility of the CCP’s data has long been in question.
The daughter of Shen Bojun, who is regarded by the CCP as the “number one rightist,” and a well-known writer, Zhang Yihuo, once released a Weibo post stating that the Japanese government released the number of personnel killed in China during World War II: 318,883 killed by the Nationalists, and 851 by the Communists… Subsequently, official media launched a series of criticisms on this post.
Shen Mingshi stated that more and more people on the mainland of China are aware that it was the sacrifice of the Nationalist army that led to victory in the resistance, and that after the victory, the Republic of China represented in the United Nations as one of the five permanent members was indeed the Republic of China, not the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, the CCP must intensify its propaganda to cover up these facts. Internationally, while when countries establish diplomatic relations with China, they may recognize the People’s Republic of China as replacing the Republic of China, the fact that the Republic of China still exists in Taiwan cannot be erased in the international community.
Su Ziyun added that regardless, historical records show that the Republic of China was one of the five major powers at the time, alongside the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Republic of China, not the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, the CCP’s attempt to distort this fact may backfire.
During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the CCP used propaganda to falsely claim that the Nationalist Government was not resisting Japan, while the CCP implemented an internal policy of “one part resistance, two parts compromise, seven parts development,” conducting rectification campaigns and opium cultivation in Yan’an. By the end of the resistance, the CCP’s army, initially 20,000 strong, had expanded to 900,000 for the Eighth Route Army and 300,000 for the New Fourth Army, bringing the total of the Communist Party’s army to over 1.2 million.
The CCP engaged in few major battles against Japan, notably the “Hundred Regiments Offensive” that began in August 1940, which was commanded by the Eighth Route Army commanders and not outlined by the CCP central committee. This battle was later criticized within the CCP for prematurely revealing the strength. Peng Dehuai, the specific commander of the “Hundred Regiments Offensive” and the Deputy Commander of the Eighth Route Army, was later purged during the Cultural Revolution, with the “Hundred Regiments Offensive” becoming one of his alleged “crimes” against Mao Zedong.
Wang He stated that due to the CCP’s propaganda, it would create a huge cross-strait confrontation in people’s understanding, even causing divisions and debates among the global Chinese community. However, by playing the card of commemorating the war, the CCP will make the people of Taiwan and the international community more awake.
Wang He believes that the historical research related to the documents of the Republic of China is actually very rich. If the CCP’s lies continue to exist, many people will be misled, and the policies of some countries towards China will be greatly affected. Therefore, it is urgent to restore the truth of history, widely spread it, and thoroughly expose the lies of the CCP.