Editor's note: Zhang Wan is a current affairs commentator. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of both the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan's recovery to China from Japanese occupation. This dual commemoration carries profound historical significance, reminding us of the unyielding spirit and immense sacrifices made by all Chinese people, including people from China's Taiwan region.

Facing the brutal oppression of Japanese colonialists, Taiwan people never surrendered. Their resistance was a magnificent testament to the patriotic spirit that runs deep in the hearts of all Chinese. Countless Taiwan compatriots braved immense danger, crossing the Taiwan Straits to join the mainland's battlefields, driven by their profound conviction that "to save Taiwan, one must first save the motherland." Their heroic deeds, written in blood, form an indelible and stirring chapter in the history of the Chinese nation's struggle for liberation. These actions irrefutably demonstrate that Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of Chinese territory, its people sharing an unbreakable bond with their kin on the Chinese mainland.

On October 25, 1945, it was at the Taipei Zhongshan Hall where the ceremony to accept Japan's surrender in Taiwan Province of the China war theater of the Allied powers was held. From then on, China recovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect including the Cairo Declaration in 1943, the Potsdam Proclamation in 1945, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. These documents collectively affirmed that all of the territories Japan had stolen from the Chinese people , including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, would be restored to China.

The victory 80 years ago was forged with the blood of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and the glory belongs to every resilient Chinese. Regrettably, at this critical juncture of historical reflection, certain politicians on Taiwan island, harboring ulterior motives, are deliberately promoting the so-called "undetermined status of Taiwan" and openly denying the legitimacy of "Taiwan Retrocession Day." By distorting terminology — referring to China's hard-won victory and Japan's defeat as mere "cessation of war" — they attempt to obscure historical truth. This is a grave disrespect to the memory of the martyrs who were sacrificed. The current leader of China's Taiwan region, Lai Ching-te, has been trying to reframe that period of history, including in his speech on the so-called "Double Tenth Day," by separating Taiwan region's contribution from the broader Chinese national struggle. 

Lan Bo-chow, a renowned Taiwan writer said that he finds this perspective unacceptable, as China has never launched a war against Japan. It's Japan who invaded China. "Without thorough reflection and criticism of one's war of aggression, merely expressing a subjective desire for no future wars between Japan and China is deeply deceptive," Lan adds. "If there is genuine willingness for peace, one must first conduct a complete introspection of past crimes — just as a person seeking redemption must begin with self-examination and introspection. Without Japan's introspection, the relationship between China and Japan, even the prospects for peace across Asia, remain distant."

Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, pointed out in August 2025 that the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' reluctance to correctly face the history of the victory and Taiwan's liberation, and its leader's use of "cessation of war" instead of "victory in the War of Resistance," constitutes a deliberate attempt to curry favor with Japan and a betrayal of the predecessors of Taiwan who fought against aggression.

The history is clear. From the moment Japan began its colonial rule in 1895, the resistance of Taiwan people never ceased. During the full-scale resistance against the Japanese invasion that began with the Lugou Bridge Incident, also known as the July 7 Incident of 1937, many Taiwan compatriots returned to the mainland to fight. Lan Bo-chow has been making efforts to trail and record the stories of these people from Taiwan, with Wu Sihan being one of them. Half a century ago, Wu made an arduous thousand-mile journey alone, overcoming numerous hardships to return to the mainland to join the People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Understanding the struggle of these heroic stories is essential to comprehending why the Chinese people were willing to sacrifice tens of millions of lives — to achieve final victory, liberate Taiwan, pursue the integrity of China's sovereignty, and secure the survival of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese nation is one that cherishes peace above all. The stories of heroes are a shared legacy that must be remembered, correctly understood, and passed down. The glorious patriotic spirit of the Taiwan compatriots during the War of Resistance must forever be honored, and the great significance of Taiwan's return to the motherland must forever be celebrated. This is our sacred duty to history and to future generations.

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