Taiwan removes military's painting of Japanese flags
Japan 'concerned' by paintings on aircraft set for war memorial display
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 01 July, 2015, 3:16am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 01 July, 2015, 3:16am
Kyodo
A copy of a P-40 World War II fighter jet is displayed at a military base in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Rising sun flags had been painted on the side of the cockpit representing the number of Japanese planes shot down by the "Flying Tigers" fighter unit during the war. Photo: Kyodo
Taiwan's military has removed the rising sun flags painted on two of the island's fighter jets to be displayed this weekend following concern expressed by Japan's de facto mission in Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said yesterday.
Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo said the paintings were meant to "restore historic truth" of the eight-year war of resistance against Japanese aggression but they had caused "different interpretations".
"Our intention was to remind the public of the atrocity of war and importance of peace," he said. "However, we take different opinions seriously."
After careful assessment, Lo said the air force headquarters decided that "the matter must be dealt with to avoid any misunderstandings".
Rising sun flags had been painted on the side of two fighter jets, representing the number of Japanese planes shot down by the "Flying Tigers" volunteer fighter unit during the war.
However, the move caught the attention of Japan's de facto mission in Taiwan which later expressed concern.
The two fighter jets are among more than 60 military aircraft and more than 290 military vehicles scheduled to be displayed on Saturday at an army base in Hsinchu, northwestern Taiwan.
The display is part of a series of events organised by the defence ministry to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war.
The Taiwan government called the occasion "victory in the eight-year war of resistance against Japanese aggression" and "Taiwan's liberation from Japanese colonial rule".
China was ruled by the Kuomintang's (KMT) government when Japan was defeated in the second world war. Four years after the war ended, the Kuomintang troops relocated to Taiwan, which claims the mainland as its territory.
Since then, China and Taiwan have been governed separately. Beijing has long threatened to use force, if necessary, to reunite both sides under the leadership of the People's Republic of China.
To celebrate the special occasion, the KMT government will hold a series of events from July 7 to October 25.
July 7 is the anniversary of the 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident, widely regarded as the start of the Sino-Japanese war, while October 25 is Taiwan's Retrocession Day.
Twenty-four veterans who fought in the eight-year war of resistance have been invited to take part in Saturday's event.
Invitations have also been extended to embassies and diplomatic missions here, including Japan.
Lo said they hand-delivered invitations to personnel of Tokyo's de facto mission in Taiwan, the Interchange Association, when they visited the ministry last week. However, he said he was not certain whether they would attend.
