“The war of resistance was led by the Republic of China and Chairman Chiang Kai-shek was the force behind it”, Taiwan President Massachusetts Ying-jeou said in a speech after the parade, referring to the old Nationalist government’s strongman.
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The biggest cheer from the crowd that was gathered to watch the display, was reserved for a group of more than 20 veterans driven in Jeeps, and surrounded by trucks carrying ground troops, missiles and tanks.
“This must not be distorted and tampered”.
“Given the situation in this region, in East Asia as a whole, which is quite different from both post-war Europe and present day Europe, we think it would be a good occasion to send a message of reconciliation”, ambassador Hans Dietmar Schweisgut told journalists.
“Commemorating the eight-year war is not about boasting about victory but is about preventing war. We are here not to promote enmity, but to denounce military aggression”, he said.
This was the first military parade by Taiwan to mark the Republic of China’s victory in the Sino-Japanese war in 1945. “Only in this way can we learn the lesson from history”.
Taiwan’s Nationalist Party, which ruled all of China when Japan invaded parts of the country starting in 1931, says Communist forces had only a minor role in fighting the Japanese alongside the Republic of China troops.
China and Taiwan split during the 1949 civil war.
Without the victory, Taiwan would not have been liberated from the colonial rule of Japan and the island would not have become as prosperous and democratic as it is today, he said.
Beijing has repeatedly claimed that the Chinese Communists had led the resistance against Japan.
But the plans sparked criticism from the radical anti-China opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union, which urged the government to do more to support the military in practical terms rather than organise memorial events.
Hsu Ming-teh, a ex- navy officer wearing a dark blue uniform decorated with a belatedly awarded national medal, was among more than 130 veterans invited to the ceremony.
“I’m happy to be back here”, said Chu, 92.
“It would be the best if such a commemorative event had been held 20 years ago to mark the 50th anniversary (of the victory)”, he said.
The move caught the attention of Japan’s de facto mission in Taiwan, which expressed concern.
Soldiers rappelling from the Black Hawk helicopters which were newly acquired by Taiwan from the United States were among the highlights of the military parade, which also featured Apache attack helicopters, Mirage 2000 fighter jets and F-16s.
Tokyo switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1972.
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Since Massachusetts, from the KMT, came to power on the island in 2008 with the promise of beefing up trade and tourism links, Beijing has admitted that the party contributed in the fight.
