Taiwanese independence advocacy groups say Beijing is using Sun Yat-sen commemorations to push a "One China" narrative, and they're calling on Taiwan to retire related symbols before China can exploit them.

• The World United Formosans for Independence and the Taiwan Society for Safeguarding Democracy say Beijing's recent memorial event for Sun Yat-sen in Beijing wasn't really about honoring him, it was a tool to reinforce the idea that Taiwan and China are one country.
• The groups argue China grafts Taiwan's leftover reverence for Sun Yat-sen (long tied to the Republic of China and the Nationalist Party) onto loyalty to Beijing, so any lingering symbols, currency, buildings, street names, become openings for Chinese propaganda.
• They warn that Taiwan's current strategy of asserting the Republic of China's legitimacy against the People's Republic of China is risky, because the law governing cross-strait relations still operates inside a "one China" framework, which could end up blurring Taiwan's own identity instead of strengthening it.
• Their core recommendation: Taiwan should stop fighting over who the "true heir" to Sun Yat-sen is and instead build a stronger, independent Taiwanese identity, which they say is the real defense against Chinese political and psychological pressure campaigns.
• They also stress that no past ruling power, not the Dutch, not Japan, not China, has the right to decide Taiwan's future; only Taiwan's own people do.

Outlook: Expect continued friction between Taipei and Beijing over historical and national symbols as both sides use them to shape public identity ahead of future cross-strait tensions.