Taiwan Does Not Commemorate Peace With Guns, Says Lai

As Beijing rolled out a mighty show of force to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the contrast could not have been starker in Taipei, which held a low-key memorial service.

- Yip Wai Yee

TAIPEI -

On the morning of Sept 3, it was a picture of remembrance and reflection as Taiwan President Lai Ching-te laid flowers before memorial tablets at the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei, shaking hands with the families of soldiers who died fighting for the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan's official name.

"Taiwan does not commemorate peace with guns," Mr Lai wrote in a Facebook post shortly after the event, adding that instead, the island remembers martyrs and the lessons of history.

"We believe the military hardware in our hands is for the defense of our country and home, not to be used for invasion or expansion," he said in the post marking Armed Forces Day, which honors fallen service members.

On the other side of the strait, Chinese President Xi Jinping, riding in an open-top limousine, surveyed tens of thousands of troops and the cutting-edge military equipment lining the avenue at Tiananmen Square.

While Mr Lai did not explicitly mention China, the message is widely understood to be directed at Beijing, which has in recent years ramped up military pressure against Taiwan to assert its sovereignty claims over the island.

"I sincerely hope that the countries that once suffered so much from invasion can work together to safeguard peace, pursue freedom and democracy, and become the cornerstone of stability and prosperity," he added.