In a formal letter to Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) insisted that the history textbooks used in senior-high schools are correct in claiming that, after the end of World War II, Taiwan was handed over to China based on the terms stated in the Cairo Declaration.
Pan did not provide any reason why that is true other than simply stating that the claim is in line with the curriculum guidelines set down by the Ministry of Education, that the textbooks “explain the process in which Taiwan was handed over to the Republic of China (ROC),” and that being in line with the ministry’s curriculum guidelines, it had been approved by the curriculum review committee.
FACT OR FICTION
The problem is not only are the textbooks incorrect, the review committee was derelict in its duty in approving the text: There is no factual basis for the ministry’s claim that Taiwan was handed over to the ROC government.
The ROC government came to Taiwan after the end of World War II following US General Douglas MacArthur’s General Order No. 1, which states: “The senior Japanese commanders and all ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces within China (excluding Manchuria), Formosa and French Indo-China north of 16 north latitude shall surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek [蔣介石].”
DISTORTION
This proves that the Chinese government was in Taiwan to accept Japan’s surrender, not because Taiwan was handed over to it.
It is easy to see that the ministry is wrong and that it is intentionally distorting history by interpreting it as a takeover.
Furthermore, in Chiang’s Order No. 1, which he issued on Sept. 9, 1945, he once again confirmed that the ROC government was giving orders to Japanese troops in Taiwan based on Japan’s surrender document and MacArthur’s General Order No. 1.
MacArthur’s General Order No. 1 included in Chiang’s order makes it clear that the ROC government was in Taiwan simply to accept Japan’s surrender.
However, it is stated in Japan’s surrender document that according to Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration, the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out.
This has given China room for political maneuvering.
CLAIMS
On Sept. 1, 1945, Chiang announced to Taiwanese that as per the Potsdam Declaration, Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago were being returned to the ROC — which was of course a lie — and that the government would send officials to rule the area.
The announcement was intended to test the waters before actually taking control of Taiwan.
Since no one raised any objections, Chiang announced his Order No. 1 on Sept. 9, eight days after the first announcement.
This order has since been misinterpreted as the legal basis for the ROC’s takeover of Taiwan and justification for its rule.
It has also become the foundation of the People’s Republic of China’s so-called “1992 consensus” and its claim over Taiwan.
Taiwanese must learn from past mistakes and make sure not to repeat them. The government must not accept the “1992 consensus.” Moreover, the “1992 talks” do not deserve any respect from Taiwanese.
Sim Kiantek is a former associate professor of business administration at National Chung Hsing University.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
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