President Ma Ying-jeou was at National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei this afternoon to attend opening ceremonies for two photography exhibits. The first event was entitled Bonfire Records: Transient Lives in the Time of War, and the second was the Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) Memorial Exhibit. Both exhibits commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan and Taiwan's retrocession. At the opening, President Ma recounted the trials and tribulations, as well as the contributions, of the Republic of China's efforts in the eight-year War of Resistance Against Japan. He also expressed hope that the ROC will forever remain a peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid, promoting peace and cooperation around the world.
In remarks, the president noted that these two exhibits, jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Central News Agency, are the first in a series of events commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in War of Resistance Against Japan and the retrocession of Taiwan. These events, he added, can thus mark the beginning of a greater understanding of the special significance of the most extensive, protracted, and far-reaching war of resistance against foreign aggression in the ROC's history.
The president went on to explain that the ROC paid a heavy price for its victory in the War of Resistance. Over 20 million military personnel and civilians lost their lives, and the cumulative property losses were incalculable. Some believe that the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States were main reason the ROC was able to win the war. But in fact, ROC forces fought alone, without outside help, during the initial stages of the war. That kept 800,000 Japanese military personnel tied up in the Chinese Theater, which turned out to be a key factor that allowed the Allied forces to ultimately win World War II. The work of noted American historian Lloyd E. Eastman tells us that the Nationalist Government's war effort, fighting for eight long years against enemy forces that were vastly superior in terms of organization, training, and equipment was "a miracle of determination and self-reliance," especially compared to France, which resisted Germany for only six weeks before surrendering, or Great Britain, which received extensive material support from the United States. In the Prologue to his 2014 book titled Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945, Professor Rana Mitter of Oxford University says that "China's war is also a story of heroic resistance against massive odds, of a regime and a people who managed, despite everything, to pull off victory against the enemy in a 'war of resistance to the end'." That allowed other Allied forces to fight on two fronts at once, in Asia and Europe, and ultimately win World War II. That victory "was posited in significant part on making sure that China stayed in the war." These commentaries from British and American historians, as well as other recently uncovered historical documents about the War of Resistance, will help the outside world understand this period in history.
The president emphasized that China's courageous War of Resistance prevented 800,000 Japanese troops from participating in the Pacific Theater or making their way to the Middle East to link up with German forces, and thus made a significant contribution to the ultimate Allied victory.
The president then turned to the achievements of Chiang Wei-shui. Between 1895 when Taiwan was ceded to Japan and the year 1915, the people of Taiwan engaged in armed resistance against the Japanese colonizers. After Mr. Chiang founded the Taiwan Cultural Association in 1920, he joined the unarmed struggle to establish a Taiwanese representative assembly, part of a multi-faceted movement that swept over the island. Under the leadership of Mr. Chiang and other high-minded compatriots, the people of Taiwan learned more about democracy and gained new experiences about advanced societies. He also promoted opposition to the opium monopoly and the burning of "spirit money," and was an advocate for the rights of women and labor. Even to this day, these concepts are all considered progressive and socially edifying.
President Ma then went on to say that expansionist aggression is a mistake that may be forgiven, but the truths of history cannot be forgotten. So we are commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan not to glorify war, but to prevent war; not to flaunt the fact that we won the war, but that we hope it never happens again. In war, there are no winners; with peace, there are no losers. So we hope that the ROC will always be a peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid, promoting peace and cooperation around the world.
The president then presented an ROC flag to Mr. Chu Fu-kuei (朱復圭), the son of the late heroine Yang Hui-min (楊惠敏), a girl scout who risked her life to deliver an ROC flag to besieged soldiers at the Sihang Warehouse during the battle of Shanghai. In presenting the flag, the president also paid tribute to Ms. Yang's inspirational courage under fire.
Also attending the event were Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi (洪孟啟), Minister without Portfolio Lin Junq-tzer (林政則), Deputy Secretary-General to the President Hsiung Kuang-hua (熊光華), Central News Agency Chairman Chen Kuo-hsiang (陳國祥), National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Director-General Wang Fu-lin (王福林), Chiang Wei-shui's Cultural Foundation Chairman Yen Wen-hsi (顏文熙) and Mrs. Yen, Taiwan Association of Relatives of War of Resistance Against Japan Veterans President Lin Guang-hui (林光輝), and a number of relatives of Chinese patriots in the War of Resistance.