Taiwan Challenges Sino-Russian Narrative on WWII History

Taiwan has accused Russia and China of distorting World War II history, claiming that Chinese communist forces did not significantly aid in the defeat of Japan, but rather used the time to strengthen their army.

This year, Taiwan has worked to portray the war as a cautionary tale for China, highlighting that the Beijing government did not steer the victory against Japan. At the time, it was the Republic of China, part of the alliance with the U.S., Britain, and Russia, which led much of the fight against Japanese forces, despite an ongoing civil war with Mao Zedong's Communists.

In response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments to Chinese President Xi Jinping, attributing the war victory to China's communist leadership, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council reiterated that it was the Republic of China, not the communists, that led and won the war. Meanwhile, in a joint statement, Russia and China reaffirmed that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China, a stance Taiwan disputes, citing historical documents granting the Republic of China sovereignty over Taiwan.

(With inputs from agencies.)