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Retrocession Day (光復節) is an annual observance in Taiwan to commemorate the end of 50 years of Japanese colonial rule on October 25, 1945.

Chen Yi (right) accepting the surrender of General Rikichi Andō (left), the last Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan, in Taipei City Hall.

Celebrating Taiwan's retrocession following Japan's defeat in WW2.

Taiwan, then more commonly known as Formosa, became a colony of the Empire of Japan when Qing China lost the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894 and ceded the island with the signing of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki. Taiwan under Japanese rule lasted till the end of World War II.

When the Japanese surrendered at the end of World War II, General Rikichi Andō, governor-general of Taiwan and commander-in-chief of all Japanese forces on the island, signed an instrument of surrender and handed it over to General Chen Yi of the Kuomintang (KMT) military to complete the official turnover in Taipei on October 25, 1945. Chen Yi proclaimed that day to be "Retrocession Day of Taiwan". Taiwan has been governed by the Republic of China since.

Supporters of Taiwan independence have argued that Taiwanese retrocession was invalid since there is no precedent in international law in which an instrument of surrender effected a transfer of sovereignty, and they base their belief in part on President Truman's June 27, 1950 statement about Taiwan's "undetermined status" provides proof of the leading Allies' view. However, most scholars of international law agree that Taiwan and Penghu were returned to the Republic of China according to the terms of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which stipulated Japan's compliance with the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The Potsdam Declaration in term included the terms of the Cairo Declaration, which required Japan to return all conquered territories to China, including Taiwan and Penghu.^[1].

Retrocession Day is currently not an official public holiday in the Republic of China, yet popular memorial activities are held and families hang the national flag every year on this day. The Democratic Progressive Party, which rejects the idea of Taiwan being taken back by China, downplayed the event during their two terms of Taiwan presidency from 2000 to 2008. ^[2][3].

[edit] See also

• Holidays in Taiwan
• History of Taiwan
• Political status of Taiwan
• Victory over Japan Day

[edit] References

1. ^ "Chen's shadow is getting eclipsed" "China Post, December 7, 2009
2. ^ Taipei govt downplays Retrocession Day
3. ^ Activists call for Retrocession Day national vacation

[edit] External links

• Taiwan's Retrocession Day on the Government Information Office website of Taiwan

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