Editor's note: 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. To remember history, honor fallen heroes, cherish peace and create a better future, CGTN has launched the "Reframing the War: China's Strategic Role and Historical Reckoning" series. This is the sixth article in the series. Feng Lin, a special commentator for CGTN, is deputy director of the Taiwan History Research Division of the Institute of Modern History Research under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On October 25, 1945, the ceremony to accept Japan's surrender in Taiwan Province of the China war theater of the Allied powers was held at the Taipei Zhongshan Hall, marking the end of Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan. The recovery of Taiwan was a major victory for the Chinese people in their struggle against foreign aggression and in defense of national dignity. It also served as a historical reckoning of exposing the crimes of Japanese imperialist expansion and a powerful embodiment of the just outcomes of World War II (WWII).

Today, amid the profound transformation of the international order and the divisive rhetoric and misinformation spread by separatist forces calling for "Taiwan independence," it's of great importance to revisit the historical truth of Taiwan's recovery, reaffirm its rightful place in post-war justice and recognize its significance in the course of national rejuvenation.

The historical justice and legal basis of Taiwan's recovery

That Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times is an irrefutable historical fact. The vast majority of Taiwan's present-day residents are descendants of migrants from the Chinese mainland.

As early as the year 230 AD, during the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period, the Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer recorded one of the earliest known written references to Taiwan. From the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties onward, successive central governments of China exercised administrative jurisdiction over the Penghu Islands and Taiwan. After the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) reunified Taiwan, Emperor Kangxi established the Taiwan Prefecture in 1684, incorporating it under the administration of Fujian Province. Aside from brief episodes of foreign colonial occupation, Taiwan throughout history remained under the effective governance of the Chinese central government.

In 1894, Japan launched the First Sino-Japanese War. Following China's defeat, the Qing government was forced to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in April 1895, under which Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were ceded to Japan. Taiwan thus became one of the earliest Chinese territories to fall under Japanese colonial rule and a symbol of the profound national humiliation China endured during its century of subjugation.

The Chinese people have never wavered in their resolve to recover Taiwan. After the outbreak of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Chinese nation rose in defiance, fought tenaciously and made enormous sacrifices. The heroic spirit and the heavy price paid by the Chinese people during this struggle earned high recognition from the Allied powers.

In 1943, the United States, Great Britain and China jointly issued the Cairo Declaration in Egypt, solemnly declaring that Japan should be stripped of all the islands in the Pacific which it had seized or occupied since the beginning of the First World War in 1914, and that "all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa, and the Pescadores, shall be restored" to China.

At that time, the Soviet Union was still observing the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and thus did not participate in the issuance of the Cairo Declaration. However, the U.S. and Britain had fully communicated the declaration's content with the Soviet Union in advance, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin raised no objections.

In July 1945, the U.S., China and Great Britain issued the Potsdam Proclamation, which explicitly stated that "the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." After the Soviet Union declared war on Japan on August 8, Stalin's name was added to the list of signatories in the Potsdam Proclamation. On September 2, in the Instrument of Surrender signed by Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government, Articles 1 and 6 made clear Japan's acceptance of the provisions set forth in the Potsdam Proclamation.

The recovery of Taiwan represented a full reckoning of Japan's illegal occupation and a rightful manifestation of China's status and entitlements as a victorious nation in WWII. International legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Instrument of Surrender collectively affirmed and committed through provisions carrying binding international obligations that sovereignty over Taiwan belongs to China.

Furthermore, foundational principles of international law established in the post-war order, such as those enshrined in the UN Charter, including respect for territorial integrity and opposition to aggression by force, have laid a solid and unshakable legal basis for the recovery of Taiwan.

A shared national sentiment and a historic turning point under the spirit of resistance

During 50 years of Japanese colonial rule, the people of Taiwan, including its ethnic minorities, never ceased their resistance against the occupation. As early as 1895, Liu Yongfu led volunteer militias in battle against the Japanese army. One after another, local armed uprisings broke out across the island, with Jian Dashi in the north, Ke Tie in the central region and Lin Shaomao in the south, demonstrating a spirit of national integrity and a determination to never submit to Japanese rule.

The Beipu Uprising in 1907, the Tapani Incident in 1915 and the Wushe Uprising led by the indigenous leader Mona Rudao in 1930 were all emblematic acts of resistance against Japanese aggression.

Alongside armed struggles, the people of Taiwan also carried out prolonged resistance on the cultural and political fronts. Organizations such as the Taiwan Cultural Association, the Taiwan People's Party and the Taiwan Communist Party spread ideas of enlightenment and social awakening. Intellectuals such as Lian Heng, Lai He and Yang Kui wrote passionately declaring that Taiwan is part of China.

Despite Japan's aggressive "kominka" campaign aimed at assimilating Taiwan residents into the Japanese Empire, most of the residents remained steadfast in identifying with the Chinese nation. After the outbreak of the total resistance, compatriots in Taiwan such as Li Youbang traveled to the mainland to join the fight. Meanwhile, anti-Japanese sentiment surged across the island.

Through various forms of resistance, the people of Taiwan made clear that their sense of national belonging and emotional bond with the motherland had never disappeared and that Japan's assimilation policies would ultimately fail. The deeply moving history of Taiwan's anti-Japanese struggle is an integral part of the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation and laid a strong foundation of public will for Taiwan's recovery and return to the motherland.

In 1945, upon the recovery of Taiwan, local residents across the island raised the Chinese national flag, put up banners reading "Long live the motherland" and "Taiwan is recovered," beat gongs and drums in the streets and spread the news with joy and excitement. These spontaneous celebrations gave voice to the sincere emotions of the people of Taiwan as they cast off colonial oppression and once again saw the light of national belonging.

The recovery of Taiwan marked a decisive end to the humiliating chapter in modern Chinese history defined by poverty, weakness, territorial loss and indemnities. It was a historic turning point in China's pursuit of national independence, cultural identity and self-confidence. It stirred a deep yearning among all Chinese people for national reunification and rejuvenation and fostered a powerful collective strength to overcome all challenges in the journey toward complete national reunification.

People in Taiwan actively took part in the affairs of national governance, education and reconstruction and worked to restore the traditions of Chinese culture. The establishment of Taiwan Retrocession Day was not only a commemoration of victory; it stood as a symbol of the Taiwan people's national consciousness and patriotic spirit.

Refuting historical falsehoods and defending the just cause of national reunification

In recent years, separatist forces peddling "Taiwan independence" on the island have willfully disregarded historical facts, distorting the legitimacy of Taiwan's recovery and even promoting fallacies, such as "undetermined status of Taiwan" and "Taiwan has never been part of China," in an attempt to deny that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Such narratives, which distort history and reject long-established international consensus, not only undermine historical justice but also constitute a blatant challenge to the fundamental principles underpinning the post-WWII international order.

Taiwan has been an integral part of China since ancient times. It's a fact supported by clear historical records and well-established legal grounds. On October 1, 1949, the central people's government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, replacing the government of the Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China.

This happened in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change. The government of the PRC enjoys and exercises China's full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan. The Chinese government is unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly opposes any attempt to separate Taiwan from China in any form.

The recovery of Taiwan stands as a significant historical milestone in the Chinese nation's journey toward rejuvenation. It's also an integral part of the global victory over fascism and the post-war international order. To remember the history of Taiwan's recovery is to defend national sovereignty and safeguard the dignity of the Chinese nation. It is a solemn reaffirmation of historical justice and adherence to the principles of international law. In the process of great national rejuvenation, the complete reunification of the country is both a historical necessity and an inevitable outcome.

Today, China is advancing the cause of national reunification with greater determination and more concrete actions. The spirit forged through the recovery of Taiwan continues to inspire the sons and daughters of China to unite as one and strive forward, so that they contribute wisdom and strength to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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