CGTN: China's vital role as main Eastern theater of World War II

BEIJING,Aug. 27, 2025/PRNewswire/ --As2025 marksthe 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, CGTN published an article explaining whyChina's14-year resistance was a crucial part of the World Anti-Fascist War and whyChina'srole should not be overlooked.

Since July,Chinahas been marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War through war films and themed museum exhibitions.

The commemorations will culminate onSeptember 3–China'sVictory Day – marking the formal signing ofJapan'ssurrender onSeptember 2, 1945, which officially ended World War II.

From its very outset, the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has held profound significance for safeguarding human civilization and defending world peace, constituting an integral part of the World Anti-Fascist War, said Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Main Eastern theater vital for WWII victory

Chinawas the first country in the world to stand up to a fascist aggressor, making it the first front in the global anti-fascist war.

Its resistance began with theSeptember 18Incident in 1931, which marked the very start of the Chinese people's fight against Japanese aggression. Then onJuly 7, 1937, the Lugou Bridge Incident in suburbanBeijingignitedChina'swhole-nation resistance war against Japanese aggression and established the country as the main Eastern battlefield of WWII.

These events occurred years before NaziGermany'sinvasion ofPolandin 1939, which is often cited in traditional Western narratives as the beginning of WWII.

China'sresistance was also the longest-lasting of any nation in WWII, which continued untilJapan'ssurrender in 1945, underscoring the immense sacrifices and sustained efforts of the Chinese people.

Citing incomplete data,Hu Heping, executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the war resulted in over 35 million Chinese military and civilian casualties from 1931 to 1945.

The nation's economic losses were staggering, with direct losses exceeding$100 billionand indirect losses reaching$500 billion, calculated in 1937 currency, Hu said.

What's more important,Chinaconsistently pinned down and depleted the main forces of Japanese militarism on the battlefield, wiping out more than 1.5 million Japanese troops and playing a decisive role in the ultimate defeat of the Japanese aggressors.

China'swar of resistance provided crucial strategic support to Allied operations, coordinating with operations inEuropeand elsewhere inAsia, said Hu, adding that it disrupted attempts at strategic coordination among Japanese, German and Italian fascist forces.

An ally that should not be forgotten

Chinaplayed an indispensable role in establishing the world anti-fascist alliance and reconstructing the post-war international order.

OnJanuary 1, 1942, twenty-six nations, includingChina,the United States, theUnited Kingdomand theSoviet Union, issued the Declaration by the United Nations, which marked the official establishment of the anti-fascist alliance.

According toHu Dekun, a professor atWuhanUniversity,Chinabegan to actively take part in consultations to shape a new post-war order during the mid-to-late stages of the war.China'sefforts were instrumental in founding the UN and several key international economic organizations, Hu wrote in July.

China'srole and contributions in WWII, long-overlooked in Western scholarship, are now receiving the attention they so richly deserve, thanks in part to the joint efforts of a growing number of scholars.

Rana Mitter, a British historian and the author of the highly acclaimed book"Forgotten Ally:China'sWorld War II,"told media in July that institutions such as the National WWII Museum inNew Orleansand the Imperial War Museum inLondonhave dedicated exhibition areas that systematically introduceChina'srole in WWII.

China'shistory of resistance should not be ignored or downplayed, said Mitter.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-08-12/China-s-vital-role-as-main-Eastern-theater-of-World-War-II-1FLPfom6WYw/p.html

SOURCE CGTN