The government has invited descendants of foreigners who helped the Republic of China (ROC) win the Second Sino-Japanese War to attend a series of commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
Among those invited are Thomas Rabe, a German professor whose grandfather, John Rabe, saved the lives of more than 200,000 Chinese during the Nanjing Massacre; Nell Calloway, granddaughter of Lieutenant General Claire Chennault — who organized a volunteer unit of the US Air Force known as the Flying Tigers; former members of the Flying Tigers; and volunteers from the former Soviet Union who participated in the war against Japan, Ma said.
“Having them present at the commemorative events will demonstrate the nation’s commitment to peace and improve public understanding of the cruelty of war,” Ma said as he reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to maintaining peace in the region.
Ma made the remarks while addressing Ministry of National Defense officials at the ministry’s Lunar New Year gathering at its new complex in Dazhi, Taipei.
It is the first time the president has visited the headquarters since it opened in December last year.
A series of 16 events is to be held from July through Oct. 25 to mark the retrocession of Taiwan and 70th anniversary of the ROC’s victory in the 1937-1945 war.
The events are in part aimed at interpreting the Second Sino-Japanese War through the perspective of the ROC and enabling the world to understand the ROC’s role in the conflict, the Executive Yuan said last week.
The activities are to include academic conferences; lectures; exhibits; the publication of a book on the Cairo Conference and the retrocession of Taiwan to the ROC and also of a 14-book series on the Second Sino-Japanese War; screenings of documentaries on the ROC Air Force; awards for servicemen; a ceremony for Taiwan’s retrocession; educational activities at schools and the issuance of commemorative stamps and coins.
Ma said little attention was paid by the international community to the ROC’s contribution to ending World War II, adding that he was “deeply touched” by Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937-1945, a 2013 book by Oxford University history and politics professor Rana Mitter.
Ma praised Mitter for faithfully chronicling the contribution made by ROC soldiers to the Allied victory, and for detailing their suffering and sacrifices, which he said “were seldom mentioned in Western literature.”
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