President Ma Ying-jeou says that he was saddened to see Republic of China nationals in attendance at a military parade in Beijing.
The Republic of China (ROC) is Taiwan’s official name. The parade was held Wednesday, and marked the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. Former Vice President Lien Chan was among the ROC citizens in attendance.
Presidential Office spokesperson Charles Chen said Thursday the president felt that the ROC citizens’ decision to attend the military parade was regrettable.
He said the decision to attend is at odds with the ROC’s position on WWII history. This view holds that the ROC’s KMT forces led China through the war rather than Communist forces. Chen said that some ROC citizens’ decision to attend the parade also goes against the expectations of Taiwan’s people.
The Mainland Affairs Council has also expressed its disappointment at ROC nationals who chose to attend the event over government objections.