As the world marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, a series of commemorative events across the Taiwan Straits have also boosted cross-Straits relations as wartime memories of the shared victory of the Chinese nation inspire the two sides.[Special coverage]
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, gave credit to the Taiwan people when meeting with Lien Chan on Tuesday, saying "the first victory against the Japanese invasion in modern times" was only possible through the efforts of the entire nation.
The meeting is, without doubt, of high significance considering the role of the counter-Japanese united front, jointly established by the CPC and Kuomintang.
"As we observe the heroic undertaking of our fathers today, we look to our fellows across the strait to inherit their patriotism and achieve a common bright future of our nation," said Lin Kwang-huei, a member of the Taiwan Wufeng Lin Family, which is known for their counter-Japanese efforts in the war.
The commemorative events, which culminated in a military parade in the heart of Beijing on Thursday, have reflected on the arduous and glorious past.
In Taiwan, war veterans were invited to retell their heroic deeds; commemorative books were published; people also observed the liberation of Taiwan from Japan and demanded an apology from the Japanese government.
On the mainland, near the Lugou Bridge in Beijing where Japan's full-scale invasion was launched, a museum was visited by more than 200,000 people within a month. WWII-themed TV shows and movies were shown, with a war movie depicting a major battle between CPC-led forces and Japanese troops taking the top spot in box office. Commemorative bank notes and stamps are printed.
More importantly, as the KMT's contribution to the victory becomes more recognized, books about how KMT-led troops sacrificed their lives and stalled the Japanese army at the frontline have also gained popularity. Last September, the State Council included a number of KMT-related sites in a memorial list to highlight their role.
KMT war veterans were also honored and awarded. Thursday's parade elevated the role of war veterans by putting both KMT and CPC veterans at the front of the parade.
The Chinese people value "reviewing the past and predicting the future." To consolidate our common memory will surely boost future cross-Straits relations, said Xu Bodong, a scholar on Taiwan issue at Beijing Union University.
