Yen Teh-fa, minister of Taiwan's Veterans Affairs Council, used a new book on wartime sabres to reaffirm that the government of the Republic of China was the sole legitimate government leading the War of Resistance against Japan, directing his criticism at Beijing's bid for control of the narrative — a sign of rising tensions in the cross-strait contest over historical interpretation.

• The new book "Soldier's Soul: An Illustrated Record of ROC Military Sabres of the War of Resistance Period" was launched in Taipei, documenting the sabres carried by ROC military officers during the war.
• Yen Teh-fa said accounts of the war's history have diverged in recent years, with the other side of the strait seeking to seize control of the narrative and distort history, but the facts must rest on historical records and artefacts.
• During the war the ROC military modelled its uniforms on those of the German army, with officers wearing short swords at ceremonies; after the Ministry of National Defense was established in 1946 and switched to US-style uniforms, the sabres passed into history.
• Marking the 68th anniversary of the Aug. 23 Artillery Battle, Yen Teh-fa said ROC forces had withstood fierce Communist bombardment to hold Kinmen, and that security in the Taiwan Strait faces equally severe challenges today.
• Author Liu Chun-cheng, who served for many years in the military and in veterans hospitals, said behind every sword lies one soldier's conviction and sacrifice.

Outlook: The narrative battle between Beijing and Taipei over the memory of the War of Resistance will only intensify, and Taiwan is likely to keep reinforcing the official account of "the ROC military as the mainstay of the resistance" at Aug. 23 and wartime commemorations.