In defense of videos
I would like to make two points with respect to your article on the World War II videos (“Experts slam ministry’s WWII videos,” July 12, page 3).
First, regarding the description concerning the return of Taiwan to the Republic of China (ROC): It has always been the position of the ROC government that the restoration of Taiwan and Penghu is grounded in the Cairo Declaration of 1943, Potsdam Proclamation and Japanese Instrument of Surrender of 1945, Treaty of San Francisco of 1951 and Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan of 1952, all of which have legal force.
Following World War II, leading nations recognized that sovereignty over Taiwan and Penghu had been restored to the ROC. The US and Japanese governments have both included the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Proclamation, and Japanese Instrument of Surrender in their respective collections of treaties.
Examples are Treaties and Other International Agreements Series of the United States of America, 1776-1949, published in 1969, and a collection of treaties published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1948.
The 1952 UN Treaty Series also includes the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. This demonstrates that the ROC, the US and Japan all regard the Cairo Declaration as a treaty, and that the UN considers the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which adopted stipulations of the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, to possess the effect of a treaty.
Regarding the criticism that the ministry’s videos omitted mention of the 228 Incident of 1947: While the Incident is undeniably a painful and tragic chapter in the modern history of Taiwan, the series of videos was designed to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Their purpose is to increase understanding in the international community of the events of that war, ROC contributions to victory in World War II, and the significance of the restoration of Taiwan to the ROC.
The 228 Incident and other major historical events in Taiwan that are not directly related to these subjects are thus beyond the scope of the videos.
Perry Pei-hwang Shen
Director General
Department of Treaty and Legal Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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