Taiwan's two most powerful neighbors are currently locked in a historic battle. This is part of a complex political tussle between the two nations, and Beijing is also using the rising tide of anti-Japanese nationalist sentiment that it has generated to achieve domestic political goals.
Historically, Taiwanese are predominantly of Chinese decent, but at the same time, Taiwan benefited from modernization under the Japanese colonial regime, so its position in this conflict is somewhat embarrassing.
Taiwan has a close relationship with Japan, but at the same time has a deep sympathy for the suffering of the Chinese people at the hands of the Japanese, so Taiwan wants to avoid taking sides in this historical struggle. Taiwanese have also endured the experience of the White Terror perpetrated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), giving them common ground with the intelligensia in China.
Those who have awoken from the nightmare of authoritarian rule know that the most powerful weapon that can be used against it is the truth. Since a political creed is nurtured through the writing of history, dictators inevitably seek to hide the truth of history, and instead selectively highlight specific events or simply distort history as a way of brainwashing their subjects. The present regime in China and the KMT are examples of this.
Shieh Jhy-wey (
Japanese history textbooks can decide how they wish to interpret Japan's war with China. Even though some Taiwanese may not approve of this, Japan is a country where academic freedom holds sway and academics and civil groups are free to challenge the point of view expressed in textbooks. This is indicative of a democracy in which controversial issues can be rationally discussed, and where the government will not be able to gloss over historical wrongdoings. That is one of the advantages of democratic politics.
Dictators use history selectively. Since the interpretation of this history is controlled by the government, no one dares challenge its views. Do the Chinese people know the truth about the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution? Do the Chinese know that since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power in 1949, the number of Chinese who have died from persecution and famine has exceeded those Chinese who died in the war of resistance against Japan? Are Chinese intellectuals aware that both the Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Regions are held by China through military coercion? Do China's haughty leaders know how contemptible they are in other people's eyes?
No wonder the Chinese government has to block overseas sources of information. It especially seeks to block access to Taiwanese Web sites, which are the easiest for Chinese to read.
If they were a free people, the Chinese might not necessarily change their view of the war with Japan. However, the idea of freedom may serve to enlighten and liberate the minds of the Chinese and provide them with a deeper understanding of themselves and other countries.
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