A grand gathering marking the 60th anniversary of China's
recovery of Taiwan from Japanese colonial rule after World War II
took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on
Tuesday.
Jia
Qinglin, head of China's top advisory body, the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, delivered a keynote
speech titled Strive for Peaceful Reunification of the
Motherland and the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese
Nation.
Jia said it was of great significance to mark the return of
Taiwan from Japanese colonial rule 60 years ago.
Taiwan was ceded to Japan under the "Treaty of Shimonoseki"
signed by the Qing Dynasty government on April 17, 1895 after it
was defeated in the Sino-Japanese war (1894-95).
The Chinese people's victory in the War of
Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) ended 50 years
of Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan, to safeguard national
sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Jia.
Jia noted that after 1840 the Chinese nation suffered a great
deal from the aggression of imperialist powers, the occupation of
Chinese territory by Japan being the most miserable. In the same
period the Chinese people rallied and fought for national
salvation, and the struggles of Taiwan's compatriots against the
Japanese occupiers were an important part of the patriotic struggle
against imperialism.
During this time, 650,000 Taiwan compatriots sacrificed their
lives, testifying to their Chinese identity as inalienable members
of the Chinese nation, Jia said. The resistance of Taiwan's
compatriots against Japanese colonial rule reflected the great
spirit of the Chinese nation, he added.
Jia said the ceding and recovery of Taiwan as well as other
historical events showed Taiwan was an inalienable part of Chinese
territory. Taiwan undeniably returned to China 60 years ago both de
facto and de jure, he said, and the legal status of Taiwan as an
inalienable part of China's territory is beyond doubt and can never
be challenged.
Over 600 people including compatriots from Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Macao as well as foreign embassy officials attended the
gathering.
Yesterday, a major exhibition commemorating the anniversary
opened at the National Museum of China in the capital, aiming to
help people remember Taiwan's compatriots' efforts against Japanese
rule.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Chen Yunlin, director of the
State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, called on people in both
mainland China and Taiwan to remember history, join hands to defuse
separatist attempts and promote the peaceful development of
cross-Straits relations.
The exhibition will last until November 6.
Also on Monday, a symposium was held in Hong Kong with dozens of
scholars from Taiwan and the mainland, Taiwan compatriots living in
Hong Kong and representatives from various walks of life.
They said they believed Taiwan's recovery indicated that it was
an inseparable part of China, that Taiwan compatriots made great
contributions in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
and to close links between the mainland and Taiwan.
Tsen Chien Min, president of Taiwan's research society of social
sciences, said Taiwan's recovery proved the existence of "One
China".
He strongly criticized separatist forces in Taiwan, who he said
have been trying to affect and change Taiwan people's sense of
history, in a bid to realize their ambition of "building a country
independently."
Zhang Nianchi, president of Shanghai Research Institute of East
Asia, said "Taiwan independence" had no way out and nobody could
hinder the trend of reunification with the motherland.
Stephen Lam, Hong Kong secretary for Constitutional Affairs,
said reunification would benefit all Chinese including Taiwan's
compatriots.
He said Taiwan could have much more room for development in
economy and many other fields.
Li Guikang, vice director of the Liaison Office of the Central
People's Government in Hong Kong, said the anniversary was of great
importance to carry on the great national spirit with patriotism at
the core.
He said it was also of great importance for enhancing the
process of reunification.
(Xinhua News Agency, CRI.com October 25, 2005)
