By Luo Cunkang
The exhibition Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, themed “For National Liberation and World Peace,” is being held at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Since its opening on July 7, the exhibition has attracted more than half a million visitors from China and abroad, offering a chance to retrace the wartime years, honor revolutionary martyrs, and reflect on the indomitable spirit of resistance that continues to inspire future generations.
On display are historical documents and artifacts, such as the earliest Declaration of War Against Japan issued by the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic, detailed archives chronicling the capture and heroic sacrifice of revered war heroine Zhao Yiman, and Fang Dazeng’s Record of the Lugou Bridge Incident, the earliest journalistic account of the incident.
Covering 12,200 square meters, the exhibition presents 1,525 rare photographs and 3,237 cultural relics, providing a comprehensive account of the monumental struggle in which the Chinese people fought for national survival, national rejuvenation, and human justice.
The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was the first complete victory in modern Chinese history over foreign invasion. From 1931 to 1945, the Chinese people endured 14 years of relentless struggle, ultimately defeating the aggressive Japanese militarists and contributing decisively to the global triumph over fascism.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized, the great victory was a historic turning point at which the Chinese nation rose from severe crisis in modern times and embarked on a journey toward great rejuvenation, and also an integral part of the world’s triumph over fascism. The victory belonged to the Chinese people, and also to people across the world.
China’s resistance against Japanese aggression was inextricably linked to the future of humanity. The Chinese people fought not only for national independence but also for global peace. China was the first to fight against fascist aggression and sustained the longest resistance. The tremendous sacrifices of the Chinese people sustained the main Eastern Battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War.
China tied down and fought the bulk of Japanese forces, wiped out more than 1.5 million enemy troops in the war, and prevented Japan from launching northward or southward offensives, making a major contribution to the triumph of the World Anti-Fascist War. These efforts significantly relieved strategic pressure on the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Allied powers.
After the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Chinese battlefield continued to consume Japan’s main forces, providing crucial support to the Allies. Despite enormous hardship, China dispatched expeditionary forces abroad and provided vital strategic materials such as tung oil and tungsten to the Allies.
China not only built the earliest anti-Japanese national united front in the East, but also advocated and helped forge the international anti-fascist united front, making historic contributions to the establishment of the United Nations (UN).
The ordeals of war deepened the Chinese people’s commitment to peace. Having endured more than a century of foreign aggression, humiliation, and exploitation since the mid-19th century, China did not embrace the law of the jungle but became more resolute in its determination to uphold peace. The great victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was a new beginning for China and a significant milestone for humanity’s pursuit of peace and development.
In the world today, changes on a scale unseen in a century are unfolding at an accelerating pace. The Chinese people will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit. They will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, firmly safeguard the hard-won victory, uphold a correct view of the history of World War II, and resolutely defend the UN-centered international system. By promoting the common values of humanity, China will work hand in hand with the peoples of all nations to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
(Luo Cunkang is the curator of the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.)
