President Ma Ying-jeou attended a military event Wednesday to commemorate the upcoming 65th anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou. The battle was a major victory against Communist China, and its outcome contributed to the survival of the Republic of China on Taiwan.
During a memorial ceremony held on Wednesday, Ma expressed his gratitude to soldiers and civilians who fought against the communists in the 1949 battle and in the other battles that followed. Ma also stressed the importance of maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait. He said the two sides should learn to put aside hatred and pursue peace and prosperity.
On Oct. 25th 1949, communist forces set off from the Chinese city of Xiamen to launch an attack on the island of Kinmen, located just a few kilometers away, as the first step in a planned invasion of the main island of Taiwan.
More than 1,200 Taiwanese solders sacrificed their lives during the 56-hour battle, but the troops were able to score a victory over the communist forces and keep them from invading Taiwan. The Kuomintang government relocated to Taiwan in December 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War to the communists.