Taiwan Calls China’s ‘Restoration’ ‘Cognitive Warfare’ — SkimNews
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- China marked the Oct. 25, 81st anniversary of Japan’s 1945 handover of Taiwan with high-resolution satellite pictures of Taipei’s train station and the National Palace Museum.
- Eastern Theatre Command published a military propaganda poster titled “Remember the history of the restoration,” overlaying a Taiwan map on fighter jets and warships.
- Wellington Koo said on Oct. 27 that China’s anniversary actions were “cognitive warfare,” arguing that the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949 and had no role in World War II’s War of Resistance against Japan.
- Taiwan’s military marked the start of the unsuccessful late-October 1949 People’s Liberation Army invasion attempt on Kinmen, which remains under Taiwan’s control; Koo called that date “much more worthy of remembering.”
- Wellington Koo warned that China’s determination to annex the Republic of China and Taiwan by force “has never changed,” saying Taiwan must remain “more vigilant.”
- National Palace Museum holds a vast collection of treasures brought to Taiwan in 1949 when the Republic of China government relocated there after losing the civil war to the communists.
Why it matters: Beijing’s Oct. 25 satellite imagery and “restoration” poster frame the 1945 handover as the “restoration of Taiwan.” Wellington Koo’s Oct. 27 response makes the dispute a security message: the PRC’s 1949 founding and unchanged determination to annex Taiwan by force leave Taiwan needing greater vigilance.
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