Taiwan has criticised Beijing after Presidents Xi and Trump underscored US-China cooperation in World War Two, warning that Beijing's framing diminishes the Republic of China's wartime role. Taipei fears the narrative could influence US perceptions and weaken support for the island. Taiwanese officials and academics say Beijing is pushing a simplified account through vast information resources, while domestic politics complicate memory and messaging on the island.
Taiwan Pushes Back After Xi and Trump Spotlight WWII Alliance, Warning China Is Rewriting History
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attends the graduation ceremony for military cadets in Taipei, Taiwan, June 30, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Taipei has publicly pushed back after Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump highlighted US-China cooperation during World War Two at a Washington summit, warning that Beijing's framing risks erasing the Republic of China's wartime role.
Taiwan officials say the narrative promoted by Beijing glosses over the Republic of China's (ROC) central role as an Allied government during the conflict, and they fear Washington could be persuaded by that version — with potential consequences for US political and military backing.
Historically, the ROC was the internationally recognised Chinese government during World War Two. After losing the 1949 civil war to Mao Zedong's communist forces, its government relocated to Taiwan and has continued to use the official name 'Republic of China.' Taipei says Beijing's official histories emphasize the contribution of communist guerrilla forces as the 'backbone' of China's resistance while downplaying Republican forces.
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pose with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House ahead of a state dinner in Washington, D.C., US, September 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
At a state dinner in Washington, both Xi and Trump praised how their countries fought together during World War Two. A White House fact sheet issued after the summit said the leaders 'recalled that the US and China were allies in World War Two and fought side by side to win the war.' Taipei says that formulation obscures important historical detail.
Taiwan's Response
Shen Yu-chung, deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, accused Xi of trying to 'guide the World War Two historical narrative to be led by the People's Republic of China' and said Taipei will press the United States to 'correctly understand that during the entire World War Two process, the Republic of China was America's steadfast ally.'
Francois Wu, Taiwan's deputy foreign minister: 'China is trying to replace the Republic of China's role during World War Two. I think this is something we should feel very sad about.'
Academic Worries and Domestic Politics
Academics in Taiwan warn that Beijing's extensive information resources make it difficult to counter competing narratives abroad. Chen Fang-yu, an associate professor at Soochow University, told a forum in Taipei that the island faces an uphill task in combating 'enormous propaganda resources' aimed at influencing international — particularly US — public opinion.
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in tea with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, in the Red Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Within Taiwan, the war's legacy is politically contested. The island was under Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) tends to emphasise a distinct Taiwanese identity. The Kuomintang (KMT), which governed as the ROC during World War Two, said Taipei's government was right to defend history but accused it of selectively invoking pre-1949 ROC history for political convenience.
No immediate comments were available from the White House, the US State Department or China's Taiwan Affairs Office.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kevin Buckland.
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