Russia screens Soviet film ‘The Defeat of Militarist Japan’ in Taipei. Taiwan accuses Moscow of trying to sow discord with Tokyo.
The Russian representative office in Taiwan screened the Soviet documentary “The Defeat of Militarist Japan” for about 20 Taiwanese guests in Taipei about a week ago.
On a recent occasion, Russia's representative office in Taiwan hosted a screening of the Soviet documentary "The Defeat of Militarist Japan" for approximately 20 Taiwanese guests. The event took place in an office building in central Taipei, with attendance being by invitation only and Reuters correspondents denied entry. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry revealed that the attendees were primarily from the academic world.
The screening of the film alarmed Taiwan's government, who believe Russia is aiding China in promoting the idea of a rising Japanese military threat. This action, according to the Taiwanese, is part of a larger effort to sway the narrative and sow discord between Taipei and Tokyo. The National Security Council of Taiwan stated that they are closely monitoring the collaboration between China and Russia, deeming them to be attempting to amplify specific topics and distort historical facts and political issues.
Russia's Foreign Ministry did not respond to inquiries regarding the screening. China's Foreign Ministry also declined to comment, asserting that they were unaware of the event and emphasizing that the Allied powers, which include China, Russia, and the United States, defeated Japanese militarism. They stressed that maintaining and promoting an accurate historical perspective of World War Two is a shared responsibility of the international community.
In 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raised the possibility of a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan leading to a military response from Tokyo, sparking a diplomatic crisis between China and Japan. Beijing has repeatedly warned that Japan is attempting to revert to its militarist past. In 2026, Khabarovsk erected a monument commemorating "the Soviet Union's victory over militarist Japan," featuring a Soviet soldier breaking a border post bearing the chrysanthemum emblem with his rifle butt.
Sanae Takaichi demanded the removal of the monument, arguing that the chrysanthemum emblem is widely recognized as a symbol of Japan, and erecting a monument depicting its destruction is unacceptable.
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