China’s 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s highest legislative body, announced on October 24 that it is designating October 25 as the annual Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration.
Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were occupied by Japan in 1895 after the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War. On October 25, 1945, a ceremony to accept Japan’s surrender in the Taiwan Province of the China war theater of the allied powers was held in Taipei, signaling that Taiwan and the Penghu Islands have returned to China’s sovereign jurisdiction.
“The restoration of Taiwan is an important outcome of the War of Resistance against Japan and compelling proof of the Chinese government’s recovery of sovereignty over Taiwan,” read the decision made at the NPC’s latest five-day session, according to a report on the central government’s website.
Shen Chunyao, director of the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, said at the session that establishing the commemoration day and holding commemorative activities at the national level will help honor the indisputable fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, consolidate the international community's commitment to the one-China principle, urge compatriots on both sides of the Strait to inherit and promote the spirit forged in the War of Resistance, and motivate all Chinese to strive together for national reunification and national rejuvenation.
Old Version
