Rising Sun flag emblems on two of Taiwan's fighter jets, representing Japanese aircraft shot down during the war, have been removed before the aircraft go on display Saturday, following concerns raised by Tokyo's de facto mission.
The Rising Sun flags had been painted on the two fighter jets to represent the number of Japanese planes shot down by the Flying Tigers fighter unit during the war. Because Taiwan does not have any Flying Tigers planes that actually fought in the war, the Taiwanese military decided to paint the decals on the two jets in the spirit of the Flying Tigers unit, which used U.S.-made Curtis P-40 propeller-driven aircraft.
On Tuesday, Taiwan's Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. David Lo, told a press conference that the decals were only meant to "restore historic truth" of the Republic of China's eight-year war of resistance against Japanese aggression but it has caused "different interpretations."