Taiwan's restoration: A victory achieved by compatriots across the strait

As China marks the 81st anniversary of its recovery of the Taiwan region and observes the second Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration on Sunday, the occasion offers an opportunity to revisit a pivotal chapter in history – one shaped by the shared struggle of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait against Japanese aggression.

The restoration of Taiwan was a key outcome of China's victory in the war against Japanese aggression, said Zhang Hua, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Zhang added that it served as solid proof of the Chinese government's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over the island and a crucial link in the historical and legal chain affirming that Taiwan is part of China.

A hard-won victory for the Chinese people

After Japan forcibly occupied Taiwan through the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, compatriots across the strait never ceased their efforts to recover the island.

Following the outbreak of the 1911 Revolution, between 1912 and 1915 alone, Taiwan saw nine large-scale anti-Japanese movements directly or indirectly linked to the revolution, all carried out under the slogan "Expel the Japanese and recover Taiwan."

In the 1920s, many progressive young people from Taiwan, guided by the belief that "to save Taiwan, one must first save the motherland," crossed over to the Chinese mainland to join the revolutionary movement for national reunification and liberation.

From the outbreak of the full-scale Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1937 to victory in 1945, about 50,000 Taiwan compatriots made their way to the Chinese mainland and joined the national anti-Japanese united front in various ways.

After the Pacific War broke out in December 1941, the Chinese government declared war on Japan the following day and announced the abolition of all unequal treaties, including the Treaty of Shimonoseki. From that point on, compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait united even more closely, fighting shoulder to shoulder against Japanese aggression to achieve victory and the recovery of Taiwan.

On December 1, 1943, China, the United States and the United Kingdom issued the Cairo Declaration, explicitly stating that all Chinese territories stolen by Japan, including Taiwan, must be returned to China. Following that, the Chinese government accelerated its preparations for Taiwan's recovery.

On April 17, 1944, the Chinese government established the Taiwan Investigation Committee, which included many patriotic Taiwan compatriots, to take charge of postwar recovery work. The committee conducted surveys on Taiwan's situation, compiled publications about the island, drafted policy proposals, trained administrative, police, banking and educational personnel, and planned Taiwan's future administrative system and institutional arrangements.

On July 26, 1945, China, the United States and the United Kingdom, later joined by the Soviet Union, jointly issued the Potsdam Proclamation, reaffirming that "the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender, formally accepting the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation.

On October 25, 1945, the surrender ceremony for Japanese forces was held in Taipei, where the Chinese government solemnly declared to the world that Taiwan and the Penghu Islands had officially returned to China. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in rebuilding and developing postwar Taiwan.

Historical denial cannot change the facts

Despite the significance of this historical milestone, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and other secessionist forces, driven by their political interests and secessionist agenda, have deliberately ignored the humiliation and tremendous sacrifices endured by the people in Taiwan, avoided mentioning China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan's restoration, and downplayed or even whitewashed Japan's colonial rule over the island.

By distorting the shared history, the DPP authorities are promoting a pro-Japanese historical narrative while pushing for "Taiwan independence," said Xu Xiaoquan, an associate researcher at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "Yet history leaves no room for denial," Xu said.

The restoration of Taiwan was the result of the Chinese people's enormous sacrifice of over 35 million casualties nationwide during the war – including the 600,000 Taiwan compatriots who gave their lives to resist colonial oppression, Xu said.

By revising textbooks to downplay the War of Resistance, fabricating pro-Japanese narratives, and denying the historical fact of Taiwan's recovery, the DPP authorities desecrate the enormous national sacrifices made by compatriots on both sides of the strait, Xu added.

Xu also said that the restoration of Taiwan is legally backed by a solid foundation in international law.

"The Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and Japan's Instrument of Surrender together form a legal chain confirming that Japan, as the defeated aggressor, must return Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to China."

Any attempt to deny this historical fact is a blatant challenge to the post–World War II international order and is bound to fail, Xu said.

According to Xu, the restoration of Taiwan was not just a victory in the War of Resistance – it also marked an important step in China's path toward national rejuvenation.

From that moment, the destinies of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland became deeply intertwined, forming a community with a shared future, Xu said, adding that "Taiwan once again became part of China's broader journey toward national rejuvenation, an irreversible process that transformed a history of humiliation into one of revival."