Taiwan forum hears calls for protection of resistance war history

Taiwan compatriots living overseas called for the preservation of Chinese historical memory during their visit to the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing on Thursday.

The guests were attending the seventh forum of social groups of Taiwan compatriots, organized by the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, in the capital.

Cheng Tung-ping, honorary president of the world federation of Taiwan chambers of commerce and a Germany-based businessman, said after the visit that every Chinese person should learn about the hardships of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), stressing that this history must never be forgotten.

"The Chinese mainland has preserved this history very well, allowing it to be passed down to future generations," he said, calling on young people to visit the museum and experience it firsthand.

Born in 1945, Cheng said it was deeply moving to see these historical accounts in person, noting that they have been downplayed by Taiwan's ruling party.

The museum features an exhibition on Taiwan compatriots' resistance against Japanese aggression from 1895 to 1945.

On Oct 25, 1945, a ceremony to accept Japan's surrender in the Taiwan Province of the China war theater of the Allied powers was held in Taipei, marking the return of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to China's sovereign jurisdiction. Last year, Oct 25 was designated as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration.

Most of the Taiwan compatriots attending Thursday's event said it was their first visit to the museum, adding that seeing up close the history they had previously only read about in textbooks was moving.

Shih Tsung-tai, president of the Northern California association for the promotion of the peaceful reunification of China in the United States, said while this history is well preserved on the Chinese mainland, it is largely absent in Taiwan. He stressed the importance of bringing it to the island in various forms so that more people can better understand this overlooked chapter of history.

"Following revisions to Taiwan's curriculum by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities, many people, especially the younger generation, have only a limited understanding of China's 5,000-year history," Shih said, adding that these changes have narrowed historical perspectives by effectively compressing Taiwan's history into just a few centuries.