The Overseas Community Affairs Council held a national day event at the Taipei Arena on Friday afternoon, marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Sino-Japanese War.
President Ma Ying-jeou spoke at the event, honoring overseas compatriots for their efforts. He said that many had played a special role in the development of their respective countries.
The president also spoke about the Sino-Japanese War, saying it was one of the largest and most influential wars in Chinese history. It also saw the most casualties.
Ma said that many overseas Chinese had participated in the war. He spoke about one such individual – Arthur Chin – who was born in the United States to a Cantonese father and Peruvian mother. Chin was prompted by the Japanese invasion to travel to China in its defense.
“In the early stages of the war, he shot down six Japanese aircraft, thereby becoming an ace pilot," said Ma.
"But he later was seriously injured as a result of his extreme bravery," he said. "His plane caught on fire, and even rammed into a Japanese aircraft. In the end, the Japanese plane crashed but his did not.”
Ma said that the US had lauded him for his efforts, as the nation’s first ace pilot in WWII. He has also been memorialized in Taiwan.