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Spokesman defends president's remarks about war history

ROC Central News Agency

2010/09/05 22:22:35

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) A spokesman for President Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday that as the chief of state, the president has an obligation to defend the Republic of China's role in the second Sino-Japanese War based on historial facts.

The spokesman was rebutting criticisms by lawmakers of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that Ma was fawning on China President Hu Jintao by supporting Hu's version of historical events.

In an editorial Friday to mark the 65th anniversary of Japan's surrender in 1945 in World War II, the People's Daily of China said that the China owes its victory to the Communist Party of China's (CPC's) leadership and the party's all-out-efforts in the war against Japan.

Ma said in Taipei Saturday that the editorial had deviated from history by overlooking the contribution made by the Kuomintang-controlled Republic of China to the war against Japan.

He noted that Hu had said in 2005 that the CPC and the Kuomintang (KMT) shared the credit for the victory, as the KMT had fought head-on with Japan's armed forces while the CPC fought as guerrillas from behind the Japanese army.

Ma said Hu's account was closer to the historial facts.

DPP lawmakers took issue with Ma comments, saying that he had downgraded himself to the status of Beijing's "child emperor", a Chinese term equivalent to the "ruler of a puppet state."

Responding to the DPP, a presidential spokesman said Sunday it is regrettable that DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen opted to remain silent in the face of Beijing's deliberate ignoring of the Republic of China's (ROC's) role in the war against Japan.

Actually, not once in her political career has Tsai ever confirmed the ROC's leading role in the victory against Japan, the spokesman Lo Chih-chiang said.

"However, as chief of state, President Ma has an obligation to defend the country's role based on historical facts," he said.

Although the use of swear words has long become a trademark of DPP politicians, Tsai as the leader of the opposition party, should not turn a deaf ear to their disrespect of the president of the country, Lo said.

The editorial in the People's Daily reflected Beijing's official stance, and Taiwan has the right to correct it if it is not consistent with historical facts, Lo said.

In comparison, Hu's remarks in 2005, which confirmed the ROC's contribution in the war, is a departure from Beijing's long time stance on the issue and is much closer to the truth, Lo said.

President Ma is a man who assesses a statement on merit rather than on the identity of the speaker, therefore, he would rebut the People's Daily editorial and would give Hu his due, Lo said.

The spokesmen urged Tsai to stop the DPP's blind opposition to whatever China says or does and give priority to the people's welfare and interests rather than to political gains.

The second Sino-Japanese War began in 1937 when Japan invaded China and ended in 1945 with Japan's surrender to the Allied States in the Second World War.

China at that time was known as the Republic of China and was ruled by the KMT, which fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to the CPC.

The CPC later that year founded the People's Republic of China.

After the military conflict ended, the two sides continued to engage in political struggle, with each side claiming to be the sole legitimate government of China.

(By Garfie Li and Maubo Chang)

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