TAIPEI – As Beijing prepares a large-scale military parade next month to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, Taiwan is pushing back against China’s claim that the Communist Party was the driving force behind that victory. The dispute has reignited a decades-old battle over historical memory, national identity, and legitimacy.
At a commemoration event in Taipei, 99-year-old veteran Pan Cheng-fa vividly recalled fighting under the Republic of China (ROC) against Japanese forces. But his tone sharpened when asked about the role of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which was then allied—uneasily—with Chiang Kai-shek’s government.
“We gave them weapons, equipment—we strengthened them,” Pan said, adding that after Japan’s surrender in 1945, the communists quickly turned their focus to toppling the ROC, a campaign that culminated in the 1949 communist takeover of mainland China.
Competing Narratives: Who Won the War?
Both the ROC, now governing Taiwan, and the CCP, which rules mainland China, claim to be the rightful victor of the war. While Beijing portrays its forces as the backbone of China’s resistance, historians widely note that Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces bore the brunt of the fighting and signed the peace treaties as one of the Allied powers.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council this month accused Beijing of “repeatedly distorting history,” arguing that the CCP’s wartime focus was “70% on consolidating power, 20% on countering the Nationalists, and only 10% on fighting Japan.”
Beijing’s state-run People’s Daily hit back in an editorial, warning against “falsifying the Communist Party’s historic role.” The CCP maintains that the victory was a collective effort of all Chinese people, including those in Taiwan, and celebrates Japan’s defeat as a moment that “returned” the island—then a Japanese colony since 1895—to Chinese sovereignty. Taipei, however, stresses that no post-war treaties handed Taiwan to the CCP, which wasn’t even in power at the time.
Taiwan’s Low-Key Commemorations
Taiwan marked the August 15 anniversary of Japan’s surrender with subdued ceremonies that leaned heavily on Nationalist symbolism. A military concert in Taipei featured performers in WWII-era ROC uniforms, images of the famed Flying Tigers—a volunteer squadron of American pilots who fought alongside Chinese forces—and a performance by local hip-hop group Nine One One.
“History affirms that the War of Resistance was led and won by the Republic of China,” Taiwan’s defense ministry declared in its event program, making no mention of communist contributions except to criticize Beijing’s narrative.
President Lai Ching-te used the day to send a pointed message to Beijing, writing on Facebook that “aggression will be defeated,” in reference to China’s growing military pressure on the island.
Memory Politics in the Shadow of Today’s Tensions
For veterans like Pan, China’s upcoming parade feels like a rewriting of his life’s history. “I can’t say anything good about the communists,” he said, recalling the family members he lost contact with after fleeing to Taiwan during the civil war.
Taiwan’s government has urged its citizens not to attend the Beijing celebrations, warning that participation could be interpreted as support for China’s sovereignty claims.
The struggle over wartime memory is more than a historical dispute: it is deeply tied to the island’s identity and Beijing’s efforts to assert control over Taiwan. As the parade approaches, the two sides appear more determined than ever to cement their competing versions of the past—reflecting the very real conflict that still defines their present.
