Beijing’s state news agency marked the 81st anniversary of Taiwan’s return from Japanese colonial rule by opening coordinated photo exhibitions across five African nations, using historical images to press its territorial claims.
Exhibitions Open Across Five African Nations on World War II Anniversary
The photographic tour opened across five African countries—Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique—running from October 23 to 25. Organized by the Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau, the displays feature more than 30 images divided into four thematic sections under the title Remembering Taiwan's Restoration, Advancing National Reunification.
The exhibitions focus on the historical events surrounding Japan’s surrender in Taiwan on October 25, 1945, which ended 50 years of Japanese colonial occupation. In 2025, China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee designated October 25 as the official Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration. Ying Qiang, who directs the Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau, pointed out that the pictures provided a chance to reflect on the historical events surrounding Taiwan’s restoration and the broader struggle against World War II fascism, while also underscoring the contribution of African soldiers and ports to the Allied war effort, noting that Durban and Mombasa acted as transit stops. Ying added that the initiative was part of broader China-Africa cultural engagement in 2026, marking 70 years of China-Africa diplomatic relations and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
Ambassador Guo Haiyan Delivers Beijing’s Message in Nairobi
During the opening ceremony in Nairobi on October 23, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan asserted that Beijing’s push for territorial recovery remains unstoppable despite opposition from Taiwan’s current administration.
The motherland must be reunified, and will surely be reunified.
Guo Haiyan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya
Guo stated that attempts by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and pro-independence groups are doomed to fail. She cited international agreements including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation as the legal and historical foundation for Beijing’s sovereignty claims over the island, alongside Resolution 2758. Guo also charged the DPP and pro-independence factions with collaborating with external powers to advance de-sinicisation and assert that Taiwan’s status remains undefined, while observing that populations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share common roots and origins and constitute a community with a shared future. She also cited the 2025 joint statement issued during President William Ruto’s state visit to China, in which Kenya reaffirmed its opposition to Taiwan independence and support for China’s efforts to achieve national reunification.
African Diplomats Link Taiwan Restoration to Anti-Colonialism
Erastus Mwencha remarked that the 1945 restoration of Taiwan signaled the conclusion of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki and served as a momentous occasion of recovered dignity for the Chinese nation, additionally recalling that 26 African nations voted in favor when the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 in 1971 to restore the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China. Mwencha also praised China’s remarkable economic transformation as providing invaluable lessons as Africa advances its own vision under Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area, while calling for peaceful dialogue across the Taiwan Strait guided by peace, constructive engagement and regional stability.
Additional regional perspectives were presented by figures such as Erastus Mwencha and other analysts. Guests at the photo exhibition drew a parallel between China’s historical path and its pursuit of national unity, expressing optimism that Beijing will ultimately accomplish national reunification. In Maputo, Mozambique, former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano remarked that China officially designating October 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration gave greater institutional significance to the anniversary. Luis Canhemba, director of the Information Office of Mozambique, added that the exhibition highlights the importance of preserving collective memory and recognizing the events that have shaped a nation’s historical journey.
Symposiums in Fuzhou and Regional Events Mark the Anniversary
Parallel events unfolded inside China, where a high-profile symposium in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, brought together cross-Strait participants. Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, spoke to the Fuzhou assembly about the atrocities committed by Japanese aggressors and criticized Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party administration for trying to excise that history from educational curricula. Chiu Chih-shien, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Restoration Commemoration Association, stated that blocking cross-Strait integration and development runs counter to history and expressed hope to advance cross-Strait exchanges and foster spiritual rapport between compatriots on both sides.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng addressed an event bringing together about 150 people, including Chinese Consul General in Johannesburg Pan Qingjiang, representatives of the Chinese community, Chinese enterprises, and media organizations. Wu Peng stated that Taiwan’s restoration is a great victory won through the fearless struggle and bloodshed of the Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, and emphasized that the authority of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 brooks no challenge. Speaking at that same Johannesburg opening ceremony, Zheng Xingli—president of the All-Africa Association for Peaceful Reunification of China—observed that history serves as the finest textbook, and affirmed the association’s ongoing dedication to uniting overseas Chinese across Africa, upholding the one-China principle, firmly opposing separatist efforts aimed at Taiwan independence, and advancing the cause of national reunification.
