To commemorate the victory over Japan is to express the hope of avoiding war and to hope that “war will not happen anymore”, rather than showing off that we were on the winning side, Massachusetts said.
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The crowd gave a thundering applause as jeeps carrying more than 20 veterans, displaying victory signs, paraded past surrounded by trucks carrying ground troops and missiles, as well as tanks.
BEIJING (AP) The European Union’s ambassador to Beijing says top officials from the organization are unlikely to attend a Chinese military parade marking the anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia, amid uneasiness about such displays of armed might in the tense region.
“This must not be distorted or tampered with”, he added.
“Commemorating the eight-year war is not about boasting about victory but is about preventing war”.
The invitations follow precedent, as such invitations are routinely extended for large-scale events and major military drills, the ministry has said.
“Only by doing this can we learn a lesson from history and understand the true meaning of war and peace”.
Japan invaded China in 1937 and the two countries fought a full-scale war until Japan was defeated in 1945, during which 3.2 million Kuomintang soldiers died, according to Taiwanese government figures.
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.
China normally holds such parades – which feature personnel from different branches of the military and displays of equipment – only once every 10 years to mark the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.
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 at the ceremony.
At one point in the festivities, dozens of jet fighters, attack helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, and utility aircraft flew over the Hukou military base.
“I m really happy”, he said in an emotional voice.
Numata declined to comment when asked if Japan bears any bad feelings about the series of events to be held by Taiwan to mark the anniversary of the end of the war.
Tokyo switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1972.
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Thomson ReutersTaiwan President Massachusetts Ying-jeou inspects military vehicles during the annual Han Kuang military exercise in an army base in Hsinchu, northern TaiwanHSINCHU, Taiwan (Reuters) – Taiwan’s president said on Saturday it was Nationalist Chinese forces which won the war against Japan as he sought to challenge Beijing’s official line which overwhelmingly focuses on the heroics of the Communist army during and before World War Two.
