China escalated its war of words with Taipei on Wednesday as Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian accused the island’s government of “blaspheming” the sacrifices of World War II by denying the Communist Party’s leading role in defeating Japan. Zhu said Beijing had invited Taiwanese representatives to next week’s military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the war’s end, but condemned what she called Taipei’s efforts to discourage attendance. The remarks come amid a broader narrative battle. Beijing argues the CPC was the backbone of China’s resistance, while Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party maintains that Nationalist forces—whose leadership later relocated to Taiwan—bore the brunt of the fighting. Zhu called the DPP’s position a “shameless betrayal of the entire Chinese nation” and warned that the ruling party was dragging the island onto a “secessionist chariot.” Zhu also criticised Taiwan’s decision to lift defence spending to about 5 percent of gross domestic product next year and the participation of more than 500 Taiwanese military personnel in the U.S.-led Northern Strike exercises, which this year shifted their scenario to the Indo-Pacific. Reiterating Beijing’s long-standing position, she said the mainland would “never renounce the use of force” while still seeking peaceful reunification. The exchange highlights rising cross-strait tensions ahead of Beijing’s high-profile commemorations and follows a series of Chinese military flights and naval patrols around the island. Taiwan’s government says only the island’s 23 million citizens can decide their future and argues that bolstering defences is essential to deter coercion.