Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Randall Schriver is saying China should face the facts of history. He said 90% of the soldiers hurt or killed by the Japanese in the War of Resistance Against Japan were of the Kuomintang. Only 10% were of the People’s Liberation Army.
Schriver is the president of the Washington think tank Project 2049. He wrote his remarks in a recent article. He said China has been using the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II to highlight Japan’s war crimes. But there has been no mention of the contribution that Japan has made to peace and development since then.
He said if China’s textbooks are able to also mention the ways Japan has contributed to the region, it would give the Chinese a very different perspective on the Japanese.
Since 1979, Japan has given China Official Development Assistance (ODA) that has added up to US$26 billion. Japan has also given China US$2.4 billion in technical assistance. Even more important is Japanese business investment. In 2014 alone, the Japanese invested US$35 billion in China.
Schriver said China’s twisting of history has also affected Taiwan. Many US officials incorrectly adapt the Chinese perspective that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China”. But very few realize in the Taiwan’s 400 year history, Chinese authorities governed Taiwan for less than 10 years. This freedom from China’s rule has enabled Taiwan to develop its market economy and a democracy that values freedom and human rights.
He said Taiwan is a model citizen of the world and the US’s ally and security partner. It should not be threatened by a made up version of history. Schriver said that on September 3 which is Armed Forces Day, the US and academics should call on China to face the facts of history.