The military is set to hold a series of events in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou (古寧頭) against Chinese communist forces, a key battle across the Taiwan Strait that ensured the continuation of the Republic of China (ROC).
The Ministry of National Defense and the Kinmen County Government are jointly organizing the events that start today, with an exhibition on the island of Kinmen to showcase an array of award-winning artwork created by military personnel focusing on the 1949 battle, the ministry said.
A memorial event is to take place tomorrow at a military base of the Kinmen Defense Command, which will be attended by several government officials and former military officers and soldiers who fought in the battle, the ministry said.
A ceremony aimed at stressing the importance of peace will be held that same day, with senior government officials set to ring a ceremonial bell at Peace Memorial Park in Kinmen, which is in the field where the Battle of Guningtou took place, the ministry said.
Also tomorrow, senior government officials and Battle of Guningtou vaterans are to visit the Taiwu military graveyard to pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives in cross-strait battles to protect the country.
On Oct. 25, 1949, communist forces left from Xiamen, China, to launch an attack on Kinmen, which is just a few kilometers away, as part of an attempt to invade Taiwan proper.
In a 56-hour battle, ROC troops were able to score a resounding victory over the communist forces. It is seen as a significant victory for the ROC, in which the military not only safeguarded Kinmen, but also ensured the safety of the nearby Penghu island group and Taiwan proper in the following decades.
The Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan in December 1949 after losing to the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War.
Despite an improvement in cross-strait ties, China has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan to achieve its goal of unification.
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