Taipei: Taiwan's representative to Japan, Lee Yi-yang, announced on Sunday that he chose not to attend the annual atomic bombing memorial ceremony in Nagasaki. This decision was made in protest against the designation of his delegation as an "international nongovernmental organization."

According to Focus Taiwan, the city government of Nagasaki placed Taiwan's delegation, which was initially to be led by Lee, in the International NGO section instead of the section for foreign embassies and representative offices. This arrangement mirrored last year's designation when Taiwan was first invited to the annual memorial marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

In a Facebook post, Lee explained that Taiwan's delegation attended the memorial last year to mark its first appearance and showcase its commitment to peace. Following the event, Lee's office issued a statement protesting the classification of Taiwan's delegation as an international NGO.

Over the past year, numerous Japanese Diet members have urged the Nagasaki City government to revise Taiwan's designation at the annual ceremony. Taiwan's representative office in Fukuoka, with assistance from local civic groups and lawmakers, also lobbied for a change, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

Lee expressed regret over the continued inappropriate labeling of Taiwan's delegation by the Nagasaki City government. Consequently, Lee and his deputies opted not to attend Sunday's ceremony, sending Bruce Chen, head of the office's Fukuoka branch, to represent Taiwan instead.

In his post, Lee reaffirmed Taipei's stance that the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan's official name, is a sovereign state, independent of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which has never governed Taiwan. He criticized the Nagasaki City government's designation, viewing it as part of the PRC's global effort to depict Taiwan as a part of China.

Taiwan's government lodged a strong protest, condemning the Nagasaki City government for succumbing to Chinese pressure, downgrading Taiwan's sovereign status, and undermining its dignity.

Lee's absence from the Nagasaki memorial followed his attendance at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony three days prior, where Taiwan's delegation was seated in the diplomatic corps section alongside representatives from Paraguay, the Holy See, Israel, India, and Armenia.

As of press time, the Nagasaki City government had not publicly responded to Lee's remarks.

In 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, respectively, resulting in hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties. These bombings remain the only instances of nuclear weapons used in armed conflict. Japan announced its surrender to the Allies on August 15, ending World War II.