Taiwan people express pride after parade

People from Taiwan said they felt a shared sense of pride in the nation's strength and prosperity as they watched the Chinese mainland's V-Day parade both online and in person on Wednesday.

"As Taiwan compatriots, our confidence in development stems from the strength of the motherland," said Lin Yen-chen, a Taiwan student who attended the military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Reflecting on the event, Lin said the 14-year resistance highlighted the true meaning of patriotism and national spirit through the sacrifices of countless martyrs.

"In this great era, we, Taiwan compatriots, must firmly stand on the right side of history and actively contribute to the advancement of national reunification and rejuvenation," he said.

Despite attempts by the Democratic Progressive Party to prevent Taiwan compatriots from attending the commemorations, representatives from Taiwan were invited to participate in the parade.

Yuann Jeu-jeng, a professor from Taiwan University, expressed his excitement on social media after watching the parade in Tian'anmen Square.

"The military parade aims to promote peace, and China always stands on the side of justice," he wrote.

In Xiamen, Fujian province, more than 150 Taiwan compatriots gathered to watch the live broadcast of the parade.

Cheng Chun-yuan, who brought his mother and children to watch the broadcast, said, "We feel the strength of our nation and the powerful development of our motherland, which made our family feel extremely proud."

Cheng said it was the happiest day in the 20 years since he returned to the mainland.

Tsao Sheng-yung, a Taiwan youth, was also moved by the commemoration.

"I am proud to be Chinese," he said, recalling stories from his grandfather about the war of resistance. "As young people from Taiwan, we must never forget the national humiliation, remember history, value peace and work hard."

On Thursday, Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met with Taiwan representatives attending the V-Day commemorations in Beijing.

Wang stressed the importance of remembering the history of national resistance, upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and jointly opposing separatist efforts toward "Taiwan independence" as well as external interference.

Across the Strait, high viewership of the V-Day parade underscored enthusiasm for the commemoration. Various channels on the island broadcast the event live.

Taiwan influencer Chen Chih-han, also known as "guanzhang" or "gym boss," livestreamed the parade on his personal channel, drawing more than 1.1 million views. Comments under the video included messages such as, "I am from Taiwan and I am also Chinese," with viewers paying tribute to martyrs and compatriots who sacrificed for themselves for the nation during the war.

Ahead of the commemorations, the DPP used threats and intimidation to obstruct Taiwan compatriots from participating in related activities on the mainland, according to participants.

Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang who was invited to attend the commemorations in Beijing, said Tuesday on social media: "If the DPP insists on using intimidation to prevent people from participating in the commemoration, it not only reveals their insecurity but also further alienates the sentiments of the Taiwan public regarding the history of the war of resistance."

"This is a national memory that must be passed down through generations," she said.

Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te made remarks about the mainland's parade on Wednesday, saying "Taiwan does not commemorate peace with guns" and that "we believe that the equipment in our hands is for defending our homeland, not for invasion and expansion".

Lai also avoided directly mentioning Japanese aggression and China's victory in the war of resistance, instead referring to the events simply as the "end of World War II" in two recent talks.

In response, Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, criticized Lai on Thursday for remarks he said "glorified aggression and incited division" on a day meant to honor the pride and dignity of Chinese people worldwide.

"Lai's comments completely disregard the arduous and heroic struggle waged by the Chinese people both domestically and abroad to save the nation from peril, ignoring the great history forged by the blood and lives of the Chinese people for national independence and liberation," Chen said.

He condemned Lai for overlooking the immense sacrifices and significant historical contributions made by Chinese people to save human civilization and defend world peace.

Chen said Lai's remarks challenge justice and conscience, and severely hurt the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He accused "Taiwan independence" separatist forces of betraying history and the nation, and desecrating the memory of martyrs.