Overview
- China’s Taiwan Affairs Office announced a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s post‑WWII handover and said people from Taiwan were invited.
- Three diplomatic sources said invitations set the event for Saturday morning at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, with no speakers named on the invite.
- Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian framed the handover as a shared victory of Chinese people and accused Taiwan of distorting history and pressuring people not to attend.
- Taiwan’s government last week prohibited its officials from joining any China-hosted “retrocession” events, saying Beijing seeks to manipulate the narrative.
- Background includes the 1945 transfer of Taiwan to the Republic of China, the PRC’s founding in 1949, and Beijing’s recent military parade marking WWII commemorations.