Remembering China’s role in the global anti-fascist war
Posted by: John Phoenix
The second of September 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, bringing an end to World War 2.
China’s role in the war, and indeed the very existence of the Pacific Theatre, has to a significant degree been written out of history. In his book China’s war with Japan: 1937 – 1945, British historian Rana Mitter writes that, “for decades, our understanding of [World War 2] has failed to give a proper account of the role of China. If China was considered at all, it was as a minor player, a bit-part actor in a war where the United States, Soviet Union and Britain played much more significant roles” (Rana Mitter, China’s war with Japan: 1937 – 1945; the struggle for survival, Penguin Books,...
