President Ma Ying-jeou stated on July 7 that there is only one history and now that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are gradually achieving political and military reconciliation, their respective versions of history also need to be reconciled. The president said that facts should be faced and the plain truth should be spoken. The truths of history can only be realized by facing history honestly and transparently, he explained. We should have a clear conscience when facing the next generation, which will help prevent history from repeating itself.
Today marks the 74th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which triggered the War of Resistance, and many activities are being held to commemorate the important day. President Ma made the aforementioned remarks in the morning when he attended a conference held by the National Defense University on the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945), as well as an exhibit of photos taken by war correspondents during the War of Resistance and a special exhibit devoted to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.
At the same time, President Ma remarked that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have considerably different views of what happened during the War of Resistance. For many years, mainland China consistently stated that it was the Chinese Communists who fought the War of Resistance, he stated, adding that it was not until 2005 on the 60th anniversary of the War of Resistance that Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao publicly stated that it was the Nationalist government that led the War of Resistance, with the Chinese Communist Party working behind enemy lines. This version is closer to the facts, the president said. President Ma stressed that we cannot allow the truth about the hard battles encountered in the course of the War of Resistance to be distorted, covered up, or tampered with. Consequently, he said he hopes that more such events will be held by the government and the private sector, adding that this will also help students from mainland China who are studying here to better understand the facts.
The president also stated that this war, in which the Chinese people resisted foreign enemies, has been documented in many works by the military and the private sector. However, that period of history seems to have been downplayed in Taiwan in recent years, while the other side of the Taiwan Strait has covered up a considerable number of truths, he said.
The president expressed his belief that the wide disparity in the interpretation of history between the two sides is to a degree the result of 60 years of separation from each other and the tragic civil war that the Chinese people fought. Many mainland Chinese exchange students here are even of the belief that the War of Resistance was led by the Chinese Communists, the president said. At this moment when the two sides are engaging in reconciliation, the interpretation of history between the two sides should also be reconciled and the truth restored. The president stressed that the facts of this historical and sacred war simply cannot be distorted or tampered with, as this was the most difficult and tragic war in the history of the Chinese people, one which covered the largest area and resulted in an unprecedented number of deaths. A total of 22 decisive battles were fought during the war, as well as over 1,000 large-scale campaigns and over 38,000 smaller battles, he said. The president further pointed out that 204 heroic generals gave their lives for their country and over 3.22 million soldiers and officers were injured or died, while at least 20 million civilians died in the course of the war. The Republic of China suffered among the greatest loss of life and property damage among all nations during the history of World War II, he said, adding that we cannot forget this legacy. As a result, regardless of all the grudges and resentment between the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party in the past, the truths of history still need to be known. President Ma expressed his hope that in the future even more resources and manpower will be devoted to the study of history, making the accurate telling of history an important part of national development.
The president stated that on January 11 of this year the European Union passed a resolution to provide ROC nationals with visa-free courtesies. On the same day 68 years ago, the ROC signed treaties of equality with the United States and the United Kingdom, abolishing unequal treaties that had been in existence for a century. The United Kingdom and the United States were willing to sign treaties of equality with the ROC because our army on the Chinese battlefield successfully contained 80% of Japan's army and 50% of Japan's air force, he said. President Ma added that the ROC military put in amazing performances on the battlefield. While our military was not necessarily able to change the tide of the war, the continued fighting spirit of the ROC military won tremendous respect from the Allied forces, he remarked.
President Ma expressed his belief that it was the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan that helped to elevate the ROC's international standing to become one of the world's five powers. The ROC was a founding member of the United Nations (UN), he pointed out, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. On another front, its victory against Japan paved the way to restore Taiwan to Chinese rule. With regard to the viewpoint expressed by some that "Taiwan's status is uncertain," the president stated that the Cairo Declaration clearly states that "All territories Japan has stolen from China, such as Manchuria, Taiwan, and the Penghu islands shall be restored to the Republic of China." At the same time, Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration specifies that the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and that Japan's territory is limited to its four main islands. Meanwhile, Articles 1 and 2 of the 1945 Japanese Instrument of Surrender both state that Japan unconditionally surrenders and accepts the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
President Ma stressed that from the standpoint of international law, a treaty is a concrete agreement agreed upon by heads of state within the scope of their authority. Treaties do not have any specific form and they can be called by various names, including agreements, treaties, protocols, conference minutes, declarations, or announcements, he said. Moreover, the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration have been included in United States Treaties and Other International Agreements. In other words, the United States views the two aforementioned documents as treaties, the president said. Meanwhile, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender is included in the United States Statutes at Large. Consequently, all of these documents are binding, the president pointed out.
The president furthermore stated that on October 25, 1945 Japan's last Taiwan Governor-General, Ando Rikichi, surrendered to the Republic of China, marking the restoration of sovereignty over Taiwan to the ROC government. On January 12, 1946 the ROC declared the Taiwan and Penghu areas to be restored as territory of the ROC, he said, adding that in 1952 the ROC and Japan signed the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty. This treaty clearly annulled the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895 and recognized the people of Taiwan and the Penghu islands as citizens of the ROC.
The president lastly stated that he retold this history in an effort to stress that the War of Resistance against Japan raised the international status of the ROC and restored Taiwan as a part of the ROC. As a result, this episode of history should be clearly reported and documented so the public can understand the events that occurred.