What happened
Chinese leader Xi Jinping made remarks about the US-China alliance during World War II at a state visit to Washington, which analysts say distorted history and targeted Taiwan and Japan. Xi referenced the wartime alliance, leaving out key historical facts, including that it was the Republic of China (ROC) under the nationalist government that fought alongside the US, not the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister accused Xi of trying to replace the ROC's role in World War II, while Taiwanese representative to the US Alexander Yui said Xi's comments demonstrated how Beijing is twisting facts and trying to drive a wedge between the US and its allies. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responded to Xi's comments, stating that Japan and the US have reconciled and deepened their relations since the war.
Analysts say Xi's remarks aimed to claim the legitimacy and orthodoxy of the ROC for the CCP's own regime and to extinguish the sovereign status of the ROC in Taiwan. The CCP intends to imply that it has inherited the legitimacy and historical standing associated with the era, including its role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and as an ally of the US.
