The government has invited descendants of foreigners who helped the Republic of China (ROC) win the Second Sino-Japanese War to attend a series of commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
Among those invited are Thomas Rabe, a German professor whose grandfather, John Rabe, saved the lives of more than 200,000 Chinese during the Nanjing Massacre; Nell Calloway, granddaughter of Lieutenant General Claire Chennault — who organized a volunteer unit of the US Air Force known as the Flying Tigers; former members of the Flying Tigers; and volunteers from the former Soviet Union who participated in the war against Japan, Ma said.
“Having them present at the commemorative events will demonstrate the nation’s commitment to peace and improve public understanding of the cruelty of war,” Ma said as he reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to maintaining peace in the region.
Ma made the remarks while addressing Ministry of National Defense officials at the ministry’s Lunar New Year gathering at its new complex in Dazhi, Taipei.
It is the first time the president has visited the headquarters since it opened in December last year.
A series of 16 events is to be held from July through Oct. 25 to mark the retrocession of Taiwan and 70th anniversary of the ROC’s victory in the 1937-1945 war.
The events are in part aimed at interpreting the Second Sino-Japanese War through the perspective of the ROC and enabling the world to understand the ROC’s role in the conflict, the Executive Yuan said last week.
The activities are to include academic conferences; lectures; exhibits; the publication of a book on the Cairo Conference and the retrocession of Taiwan to the ROC and also of a 14-book series on the Second Sino-Japanese War; screenings of documentaries on the ROC Air Force; awards for servicemen; a ceremony for Taiwan’s retrocession; educational activities at schools and the issuance of commemorative stamps and coins.
Ma said little attention was paid by the international community to the ROC’s contribution to ending World War II, adding that he was “deeply touched” by Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937-1945, a 2013 book by Oxford University history and politics professor Rana Mitter.
Ma praised Mitter for faithfully chronicling the contribution made by ROC soldiers to the Allied victory, and for detailing their suffering and sacrifices, which he said “were seldom mentioned in Western literature.”
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
RSS