China is attempting to skew global perceptions of World War II and the government must continue to urge the international community to jointly face the challenge posed by authoritarian states, a source familiar with foreign affairs said on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
President William Lai’s (賴清德) speech on Thursday commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II emphasized that “the invaders always lose, and victory is assured by standing together,” the source said.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hindered the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) attempts at resisting Japan’s advances during World War II, but is now hosting a series of events telling the international community a different version of history, the source said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
China is framing the anniversary as a commemoration of resisting Japan and fighting fascism, with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) celebrating with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Starting last year, China has been stepping up its efforts to spread the revisionist message that it was one of the victorious nations in World War II and that it should also shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the post-war world order, the source said.
Their rhetoric suggests that challenging China would upset the world order, and that its actions within the region, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are legitimate, they said.
China is also attempting to legitimize its claim over Taiwan by saying that it was returned to China when World War II ended, they added.
This phase of Chinese propaganda is expected to last until the conclusion of the military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, which marks the commemoration of the country’s victory over Japan, the source said.
The CCP would continue its efforts to get Taiwanese politicians and groups to participate in its anniversary celebrations in an attempt to skew the interpretation of the war’s history in China’s favor, they said.
The central theme of Lai’s speech is that the international community must learn from history and act pre-emptively, the source said.
It is not difficult to imagine that state players are using force to destroy undersea cables, infrastructure or launch cyberattacks to further its geopolitical agenda, nor is it inconceivable that foreign forces would attempt to use information warfare to intervene in the elections of democratic countries, the source said, citing the president’s speech.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS