Former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday attended a book launch for The Truth of China’s Resistance War Against Japan, at which Lien said the Second Sino-Japanese War was led by the Republic of China’s (ROC) Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government.
It was the first public appearance of the two at the same event since Lien’s trip to Beijing last week to watch a military parade marking the anniversary of the end of the war. However, they avoided a meeting each other, with Lien arriving after Ma had left.
Ma said before Lien departed for China that it would be “inappropriate” for Lien to attend the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) parade.
Photo: CNA
Lien, also a former KMT chairman, went in the spite of criticism.
The book was written and edited by retired general Wang Wen-hsieh (王文燮), who is also chairman of the Taipei-based Association for Strategic Studies.
Ma did not respond to reporters’ questions, including about Lien, who walked past reporters outside the venue also without responding.
In a speech at the book launch, Lien said the war against Japan was “fought by the people of zhonghua minzu (中華民族, Chinese ethnic group) and yan huang zisun (炎黃子孫, descendants of emperors Yan and Huang) against foreign aggression and led by the Chinese Nationalist Party government of the ROC.”
Wang praised Lien for his contribution to the KMT and the Lien family for their patriotism.
“The Lien family’s love for the nation goes back a long way,” Wang said. “Lien’s father, Lien Chen-dong (連震東), was in the army for 13 years and fought in the war. Lien’s grandfather, Lien Ya-tang (連雅堂), received his ROC identity in 1915 [when Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule].”
“It is nonsense to accuse Lien [Chan] of being a traitor,” said Wang, who also criticized former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) over Lee’s denial that Taiwan could have been part of the resistance.
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