Taiwan Bans Officials From China’s “Retrocession” Events, Says Beijing Distorting History

📰 News in Short (60 words)

Taiwan has banned officials, teachers, and students from attending Chinese events marking the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s “retrocession” from Japan, accusing Beijing of distorting history to claim sovereignty. Taiwan says it was the Republic of China, not the People’s Republic, that fought World War II. Beijing has yet to announce its own commemorations.

📰 News in Detail:

Taipei, Oct. 17, 2025 — Taiwan has barred its officials, teachers, and students from attending events China plans to hold next week to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the island’s so-called “retrocession” to Chinese rule, accusing Beijing of twisting historical facts to advance its political agenda.

The dispute centers on October 25, which marks the day in 1945 when Japan formally surrendered control of Taiwan to the Republic of China (ROC) following its defeat in World War II. Japan had colonized Taiwan for 50 years, from 1895 to 1945, after winning the First Sino-Japanese War. Both Taipei and Beijing refer to that transfer of control as the “retrocession.”

In a statement released Friday, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which oversees relations with Beijing, said China was using the anniversary to promote its narrative that Taiwan has always been part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Chiu Chui-cheng, head of the MAC, said Beijing had been spreading “false narratives” about the events of 1945. “China has repeatedly fabricated historical claims and concocted the argument that Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China,” Chiu said in a video statement. “Its ultimate goal is to eliminate the Republic of China and annex Taiwan.”

The council said Taiwan’s government had decided to ban all officials, students, and teachers from attending any events organized by China around the anniversary and urged private citizens to do the same. “We call on all people to put the national interest first and refrain from participating in activities designed to undermine our sovereignty,” the statement added.

Dispute Over Historical Identity

The controversy highlights the deep political and ideological divide between Taipei and Beijing over the interpretation of history — particularly regarding who “liberated” Taiwan after World War II.

Taiwan maintains that it was the Republic of China, then led by Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government, that fought and won the war against Japan alongside the Allies. The People’s Republic of China, founded in 1949 by Mao Zedong after the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, did not exist at the time.

For Taiwan, the 1945 retrocession represents a chapter in ROC history — not PRC sovereignty. Beijing, however, argues that Taiwan’s handover from Japan marked the island’s “return” to China, claiming that it forms the historical basis for its “One China” policy, under which it considers Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory.

This year, both sides have clashed repeatedly over the meaning of the 80th anniversary. Taiwan has accused China of deliberately erasing the ROC’s wartime role to bolster the Communist Party’s claim as the rightful representative of all Chinese people.

China’s Response and Upcoming Events

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to Taiwan’s accusations, and Beijing has not yet announced specific details about how it plans to mark the anniversary. However, a spokesperson for the office told reporters on Wednesday that the “retrocession” was “a great victory for the Chinese people, including those in Taiwan.”

Last month, Beijing celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a massive military parade, highlighting the Chinese Communist Party’s role in defeating Japan — a portrayal that Taiwan says falsifies history.

Analysts in Taipei say Beijing’s upcoming events could include commemorations, exhibitions, and media campaigns designed to reinforce its territorial claims and influence cross-strait public opinion ahead of Taiwan’s January 2026 presidential election.

Taiwan’s Separate Path

In contrast, Taipei plans no official events to mark the “retrocession” anniversary. Instead, next Saturday, the city will host East Asia’s largest Pride parade — a vibrant celebration of LGBTQ+ equality and human rights. The timing, officials say, symbolizes Taiwan’s identity as a democratic and diverse society distinct from authoritarian China.

The island’s government has long accused Beijing of using historical commemorations to advance its political objectives. “China’s manipulation of history only deepens mistrust and pushes the two sides further apart,” an official from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on condition of anonymity.

For now, Beijing’s intentions remain unclear, but Taipei’s ban reflects growing tension across the Taiwan Strait. With both sides claiming the legacy of 1945 as their own, the anniversary of “retrocession” has once again become a battleground — not of armies, but of history and identity.

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