The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance announced on Monday that a lump-sum living subsidy of 5,000 yuan ($790) will be given to veterans who fought in the war against Japanese aggression. The subsidy will be issued before Sept 3, when a military parade will be held in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in the war against fascism. [Special coverage]
The subsidy is a reminder that this nation and its people have never forgotten the contribution of those who fought in that miserable war when the nation was in danger of being engulfed by its neighbor Japan, which launched a war of aggression against China in 1931.
What is noteworthy is that those who served in the Kuomintang army during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) are also eligible for the subsidy. This is the rectitude the governing Communist Party of China has demonstrated on the question of history and on the war against Japanese aggression.
A remark by one Kuomintang veteran, now in his 90s, who participated in a famous battle against the Japanese aggressors in Shanghai, reflects the heartfelt wish of many: "We are not afraid of death, we are afraid of being forgotten."
Indeed, later generations should always bear in mind what these veterans, whether from the Kuomintang or CPC, contributed to the war that prevented this nation from being subjugated by the foreign aggressors.
Many Kuomintang veterans who fought the Japanese suffered in political life simply because they were on the losing side at the end of the civil war that followed the surrender of Japan in 1945. Thus, they were once denied the glory and credit they deserved for the contributions they made to the war against the invaders.
Fortunately, those who survived the hard years can now see with their own eyes that their contribution to the victory against the Japanese aggressors is being recognized.
In 2013, with the approval of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Kuomintang veterans who fought in the war against the Japanese were brought under the social security net.
By holding in reverence all the veterans who defended this country against the Japanese invaders, this nation and its people will have a thorough understanding of that war, which will help build a better future for the nation.
