TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National security officials on Monday said the attendance of former Kuomintang Chair Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and other party members at China’s upcoming military parade would send the wrong message to both Beijing and the international community.

The parade, marking the 80th anniversary of Imperial Japan’s surrender in World War II, will be attended by authoritarian leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Iran’s president. Their presence is intended to project solidarity against the West, per Reuters.

Officials said that in addition to leaders from these states, several pro-unification and pan-Blue Taiwanese politicians have confirmed or plan to attend, per CNA. They warned such participation could be misinterpreted as tacit approval from Taiwan and harm the country’s international image.

The list of intended Taiwanese participants reportedly includes Hung, former KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍), and current KMT Central Standing Committee member Ho Ying-lu (何鷹鷺). Officials cautioned that their participation could be read as suggesting the KMT, or even Taiwan’s political parties as a whole, endorse China’s military parade and Beijing’s stance on Taiwan, potentially creating diplomatic confusion.

Officials further said China is distorting the historical record of World War II and the war against Japan to claim Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to China. If senior KMT figures such as a former chair, a former secretary-general, and a current standing committee member attend, it would send the “wrong signal” to both Beijing and the international community.

They stressed that political parties must clarify such actions do not represent Taiwan or its people, to ensure the international community does not misunderstand Taiwan’s position on democracy and sovereignty.