Editor's note: Xu Xiaoquan is an associate researcher from the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.
This year, people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have held various events to mark the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration. Yet the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, driven by their separatist agenda, have sought to gloss over and whitewash Japan's colonial rule, even denying the historical fact of Taiwan's return. Such actions not only betray history but also dishonor the tremendous sacrifices made by the entire Chinese nation. These shameful distortions will ultimately be swept away by the unstoppable tide of national rejuvenation.
A hard-won victory of the Chinese people
After Japan forcibly occupied Taiwan through the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, compatriots across the Strait never ceased their efforts to recover the island. Following the outbreak of the 1911 Revolution, between 1912 and 1915 alone, Taiwan saw nine large-scale anti-Japanese movements directly or indirectly linked to the revolution, all carried out under the slogan "Expel the Japanese and recover Taiwan."
In the 1920s, many progressive young people from Taiwan, guided by the belief that "to save Taiwan, one must first save the motherland," crossed over to the Chinese mainland to join the revolutionary movement for national reunification and liberation.
From the outbreak of the full-scale Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1937 to the victory in 1945, about 50,000 Taiwan compatriots made their way to the Chinese mainland and joined the national anti-Japanese united front in various ways.
After the Pacific War broke out on December 8, 1941, the Chinese government declared war on Japan the following day and announced the abolition of all unequal treaties, including the Treaty of Shimonoseki. From that point on, compatriots on both sides of the Strait united even more closely, fighting shoulder to shoulder against Japanese aggression to achieve victory and the recovery of Taiwan.
On December 1, 1943, China, the United States and the United Kingdom issued the Cairo Declaration, explicitly stating that all Chinese territories stolen by Japan, including Taiwan, must be returned to China. Following that, the Chinese government accelerated its preparations for Taiwan's recovery.
On April 17, 1944, the Chinese government established the Taiwan Investigation Committee, which included many patriotic Taiwan compatriots, to take charge of postwar recovery work. The committee conducted surveys on Taiwan's situation, compiled publications about the island, drafted policy proposals, trained administrative, police, banking, and educational personnel, and planned Taiwan's future administrative system and institutional arrangements.
On July 26, 1945, China, the United States and the United Kingdom, later joined by the Soviet Union, jointly issued the Potsdam Proclamation, reaffirming that "the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender, formally accepting the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation.
On October 25, 1945, the surrender ceremony for Japanese forces was held in Taipei, where the Chinese government solemnly declared to the world that Taiwan and the Penghu Islands had officially returned to China. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in rebuilding and developing postwar Taiwan.
Historical denial cannot change the facts
The restoration of Taiwan is a glorious chapter shared by all Chinese people and a vital historical memory that compatriots on both sides of the Strait should jointly remember. The DPP authorities deliberately ignore the humiliation and tremendous sacrifices endured by the people of Taiwan, evade the national memory of victory in the War of Resistance and Taiwan's restoration, and use the Japanese term "End of the War" to whitewash Japan's colonial crimes in Taiwan. By distorting the shared history, the DPP authorities are promoting a pro-Japanese historical narrative while pushing for "Taiwan independence." Yet history leaves no room for denial.
The restoration of Taiwan was the result of the Chinese people's enormous sacrifice of over 35 million casualties nationwide during the war – including the 600,000 Taiwan compatriots who gave their lives to resist colonial oppression. By revising textbooks to downplay the War of Resistance, fabricating pro-Japanese narratives, and denying the historical fact of Taiwan's recovery, the DPP authorities desecrate the enormous national sacrifices made by compatriots on both sides of the Strait and gravely wound national sentiment.
Legally, the restoration of Taiwan is backed by a solid foundation in international law. Recently, Western powers have once again hyped the so-called "undetermined status of Taiwan" theory, and the DPP has seized the opportunity to echo this claim and deny the historical fact of Taiwan's recovery. However, the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and Japan's Instrument of Surrender together form a legal chain confirming that Japan, as the defeated aggressor, must return Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to China. Any attempt to deny this historical fact is a blatant challenge to the post–World War II international order and is bound to fail.
The restoration of Taiwan was not just a victory of the War of Resistance – it also marked an important step in China's path toward national rejuvenation. It demonstrated the nation's unyielding spirit of unity and perseverance in the face of foreign invasion and freed Taiwan from the misery of Japanese imperialist oppression. From that moment, the destinies of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland became deeply intertwined, forming a community with a shared future. Taiwan once again became part of China's broader journey toward national rejuvenation, an irreversible process that transformed a history of humiliation into one of revival.
In conclusion, the restoration of Taiwan was a great victory forged through the heroic struggles and sacrifices of all Chinese people, including compatriots from Taiwan. It was the rightful outcome of China's significant contribution to the victory of the global anti-fascist war, supported by comprehensive and indisputable legal, historical and factual foundations.
Today, as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation moves forward with unstoppable momentum, any attempt to deny the historical fact of Taiwan's restoration or to challenge the truth that Taiwan is an integral part of China cannot alter the fundamental trajectory of cross-Strait relations, nor can it obstruct the historic trend toward China's inevitable reunification.