As both Taiwan and mainland China prepare to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a bitter rivalry over historical narrative and claims to victory is intensifying. The two sides disagree over the role each played in fighting Japan, with Taiwan emphasizing its own contribution while China focuses on the Communist Party's role.
A wreath lies during an event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan , August 16, 2025. Veteran Pan Cheng-fa, 99, recalls fighting for China against Japan during the war but becomes agitated when discussing the role of communist forces. He points out that his republican government furnished them with weapons and support. Pan speaks at an event in Taipei commemorating the 80th anniversary of World War II's end.
Next month, both Taiwan and mainland China will mark the war's conclusion, but their narratives and claims to victory are increasingly contentious. Fighting in China intensified in 1937 with the Japanese invasion and persisted until Japan's surrender in 1945. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, was relinquished by Japan after decades of colonial rule. When the war ended, the communist forces, then allies with the republican government, turned their attention towards the Republic of China, leading to the renewal of civil war and the subsequent victory of Mao Zedong's forces. This resulted in the Republican government fleeing to Taiwan in 1949.While Beijing frequently emphasizes its struggle against Japan, Taiwan asserts that the majority of the fighting was conducted by Chiang Kai-shek's republican government and that the Republic of China signed the peace agreement as an allied nation. Chiu Chui-cheng, Taiwan's top China-policy maker, criticizes the communist regime for distorting history by claiming it led the war effort. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council claims that the communists prioritized their own advancement and only reluctantly opposed Japan during the war.Taiwan's commemoration events are less elaborate and solely focus on China's communist forces' alleged misconduct. A defense ministry concert in Taipei featured performers clad as soldiers from the republican era, images of the Flying Tigers - volunteer American pilots who served in the republican Chinese air force - and rap performances by Taiwanese hip-hop group Nine One One.Meanwhile, China's People's Daily cautioned against attempts to alter or fabricate the Chinese Communist Party's crucial role in combating Japan. They maintain that the victory belongs to all Chinese, including those in Taiwan, and celebrate the 1945 peace agreement for returning Taiwan to Chinese rule. Taiwan contends that no agreements stated Taiwan's handover to the Chinese Communist Party-led People's Republic of China, which was established in late 1949. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te marked the anniversary with a Facebook message affirming resistance against aggression, a clear reference to Beijing's military threats against the island. The People's Republic of China considers itself the successor to the Republic of China and views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, a stance Taiwan vehemently rejects. Taiwan's government urges its citizens not to attend the Chinese military parade, warning against legitimizing Beijing's territorial claims and its version of the anniversary's meaning. Veteran Pan, who witnessed family members suffer under communist rule after the civil war, sees Beijing's parade as irrelevant to his experience
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