Many people in Taiwan watched the live broadcast of Wednesday's military parade in Beijing through CCTV's new media platforms, despite being banned from attending the commemorative events held on the Chinese mainland.
A grand gathering with a military parade was held on Wednesday morning in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Before the event, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities had attempted to intimidate and block people on the island from joining the commemoration, threatening to cancel the pensions of retired Kuomintang (KMT) veterans who fought in the war against Japanese aggression, prohibiting public officials from attending, "reminding" the public not to participate, and even taking action against artists from the island "singing along" with the mainland. These actions have sparked public outrage on the island.
Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te has also repeatedly distorted the historical truth of World War II (WWII), propagating the "Taiwan independence" separatist fallacy. In his recent speeches, he blatantly skipped over the historical facts of Taiwan's recovery from Japanese occupation in WWII, and on August 15, he even used the phrase "end of the war" instead of "winning the War of Resistance," which has also drawn criticism.
"For the people in Taiwan, even if we cannot be there in person to join this grand event, we should still feel a shared sense of honor. Lai Ching-te's ideology is actually quite similar to that of the right-wing forces in Japan. It was clearly the victory of the war of resistance, and Taiwan's return to the motherland, also known as its liberation from Japanese colonial rule. But Lai called it 'end of the war.' The anniversary of victory over Japanese aggression surely means the return of Taiwan to its motherland after 50 years of occupation by Japan. These are inherently the common affairs of people across the Taiwan Strait and our collective glory," said Ho Yi-cheng, chief of the Taiwan Youth Federation.
Wu Cherng-dean, chairman of Taiwan's New Party, said in an interview that China's massive V-Day military parade is proof of the nation's growing strength, through which people across the Taiwan Strait can remember history together and join hands for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
"Back during the war of resistance, we joined hands to resist foreign invasion. Now, China showcases military strength at the massive military parade. Our nation has risen to its feet, and with both sides across the Taiwan Strait working together, we shall never again be subjected to aggression, nor shall we ever again be bullied by others. This is an indisputable fact. Moreover, the great revival of the Chinese nation through such collaboration will undoubtedly become a radiant and impactful chapter in history," said Wu.
Some media commentators in Taiwan also pointed out that "mainstream public opinion" there yearns for peace, stability and development, and the message of upholding peace and defending justice conveyed by V-Day commemorations is fully aligned with the aspirations of the residents.
V-Day parade draws significant attention in Taiwan despite restrictions
