Editor's note: Zhang Hua, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In 1945, after years of fierce resistance by the Chinese people – including compatriots from the Taiwan region – China achieved a decisive victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. On October 25 that year, the Chinese government held a formal ceremony in Taipei to accept Japan's surrender, marking the restoration of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands and their return to Chinese sovereignty.

The restoration of Taiwan was a key outcome of China's victory in the war against Japanese aggression. It served as solid proof of the Chinese government's resumption of sovereignty over the island, a crucial link in the historical and legal chain affirming that Taiwan is part of China, and a shared moment of national pride for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. It also forms an important part of the post-World War II international order.

A victory shared by the Allies

The restoration of Taiwan was one of the major fruits of the Allied victory in World War II. During the conflict, China was the main battlefield in Asia and made tremendous sacrifices in resisting Japanese aggression, with tens of millions of Chinese soldiers, civilians and foreign friends losing their lives. Throughout the war, the Allied powers repeatedly confirmed that China would recover its territories, including Taiwan, after Japan's defeat.

The 1943 Cairo Declaration by China, the United States and the United Kingdom stated that it was the purpose of the three allies that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. The 1945 Potsdam Proclamation reaffirmed that the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out, and in September that year, Japan signed the instrument of surrender, pledging to honor the proclamation's terms.

On October 25, 1945, the Chinese government announced it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan and held a surrender ceremony in Taipei. From that moment, China had recovered Taiwan de jure. Since then, international documents – including the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, the four Sino-Japanese political documents, and United Nations resolutions – have all reaffirmed that Taiwan is part of China. The restoration of Taiwan was therefore not only a wartime outcome, but also a principle recognized by international law.

Historical evidence of China's sovereignty

The earliest record of Taiwan dates back to the year 230, in "Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer" by Shen Ying during the Three Kingdoms period. From the Song and Yuan dynasties onward, successive Chinese central governments established administrative control over Penghu and Taiwan. During the Qing dynasty, Taiwan's administrative status was gradually elevated – from the establishment of Taiwan Prefecture in 1684 under Fujian Province to its designation as a full province in 1885, China's 20th at the time.

Japan's invasion of China in 1894 led to the cession of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands the following year after China's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War. Fifty years later, Japan's unconditional surrender in 1945 reversed that injustice. The Chinese government designated Taiwan and Penghu as one of Japan's surrender zones, with Chen Yi appointed as the chief officer to receive the surrender. On October 25, Japan's 10th Area Army commander Andō Rikichi signed the surrender documents in Taipei on behalf of the Japanese government. Chen Yi then declared: "From today, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands are officially restored to China. All land, people, and governance are now under the sovereignty of the Chinese government."

A shared memory of the Chinese nation

During Japan's occupation, people in Taiwan suffered severe exploitation and repression. The Japanese colonial authorities plundered resources and committed countless atrocities. In defiance, patriots in Taiwan such as Qiu Fengjia, Tang Jingsong, Liu Yongfu and Li Yingchen led uprisings and armed struggles against Japanese rule. After Japan launched its full-scale invasion of China, many from Taiwan joined their compatriots in Fujian and Jiangxi to fight side by side against the invaders.

When victory finally came, people in the Taiwan region celebrated their liberation with enormous pride. On the afternoon of October 25, 1945, following the surrender ceremony, people from all walks of life held a mass rally in Taipei to celebrate the island's restoration. The next day, tens of thousands took to the streets in parades and public festivities. From then on, October 25 was marked each year by commemorations across the island.

This year, on October 24, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress officially designated October 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration. Both the wartime struggle and the postwar remembrance reflect the shared aspiration of all Chinese people – on both sides of the Taiwan Strait – to achieve the full reunification of the motherland.