Ex-KMT Chair Hung Hsiu-chu to attend China's WWII parade in Beijing

Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) Former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) said Tuesday she will attend a military parade in Beijing the following day to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Second Sino-Japanese War, calling her decision an effort to "carry forward the spirit of resistance."

"The War of Resistance Against Japan was a battle for the very survival of the Chinese nation, a war of life and death," Hung said in a news release, adding that history must not be forgotten or distorted. She arrived in Beijing on Monday.

Hung argued that without cooperation between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), along with the united resistance of the "entire nation," the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) could not have survived. As a former KMT leader, she said she felt a responsibility to uphold this legacy.

Later Tuesday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) urged the public not to participate in the parade or related events, reiterating that officials are banned from doing so to prevent Beijing from using them for "united front efforts targeting Taiwan."

The ban also covers former deputy heads or higher-level officials in defense, foreign affairs, mainland affairs, or national security, as well as senior military officers and intelligence chiefs, the MAC said.

Hung previously served as a legislator and deputy speaker of the Legislative Yuan. Whether she falls under the restrictions has yet to be determined, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said Tuesday.

KMT Legislator Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) stressed that Hung's trip is in a personal capacity and that she cannot represent the party. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Tai Wei-shan (戴瑋姍), however, condemned the move, noting that Hung herself once criticized former KMT Chair Lien Chan (連戰) for attending a similar parade in China a decade ago.

Some Taiwanese scholars also argued that by holding commemorative events, the People's Republic of China (PRC) is seeking to claim credit for a victory achieved by the ROC during the 1937-1945 conflict, which is widely regarded as part of World War II.

Hung's confirmation came after former KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) announced Monday he had declined an invitation due to health reasons following recent surgery.