A Glorious History of Chinese Resistance, Resilience, and Victory against Japan
The Chinese are peace-loving people. They believe in coexistence, cooperation, friendship, partnership, trade, and investment. Its 2000-year history tells us that it never invaded other countries. However, the Chinese are highly patriotic and they are always ready to sacrifice to defend their motherland. The story of the China-Japan War is the story of resistance, resilience, sacrifice, and patriotism, which resulted in Chinese victory and the invader Japan’s defeat.
The war between China and Japan lasted from 1937 to 1945 and was one of the most significant conflicts of the 20th century. The conflict began with Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 and continued until the end of World War II. The war caused immense suffering for the Chinese people, with estimates of civilian deaths ranging from fifteen to twenty million.
The causes of the war between China and Japan were complex and multifaceted. One of the main causes was Japan’s desire for imperial expansion, driven by a need for natural resources and a belief in the superiority of the Japanese race. Japan had already annexed Korea in 1910 and had established a puppet state in Manchuria in 1931. Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 was an attempt to gain control of more territory and resources. Another cause of internal civil war, which weakened China and Japan, saw an opportunity to exploit this weakness and invade China.
The war between China and Japan began on 7 July 1937, when a dispute between Chinese and Japanese troops in the vicinity of Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing escalated into a full-scale invasion. The Japanese army quickly advanced through northern China, capturing major cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan. This war was marked by numerous atrocities committed by the Japanese army against the Chinese population. The Japanese army’s brutal tactics and disregard for human life caused immense suffering for the Chinese people.
One of the most notorious atrocities committed by the Japanese army during the war was the RAPE OF NANJING. In December 1937, Japanese troops captured the city of Nanjing, which was then the capital of China. Over the course of six weeks, the Japanese army killed three hundred thousand people who were civilian mostly but some were soldiers, and committed numerous atrocities, including mass rape, torture, and mutilation. A historical account of the rape of Nanjing paints a vivid picture of the brutality and horror of the event. Eyewitnesses reported seeing Japanese soldiers bayoneting babies, raping women in public, and setting fire to buildings with people still inside. The Japanese army’s action in Nanjing was widely condemned by the international community, and this massacre is now remembered as the darkest chapter in history.
The Rape of Nanjing was not the only atrocity committed by the Japanese army during the war. Throughout the conflict, Japanese soldiers engaged in numerous other acts of brutality against the Chinese population. These included mass killings, torture, and forced labour. In some cases, Japanese soldiers used Chinese civilians for target practice or subjected them to medical practices. The Japanese army’s actions were not limited to civilians. They also mistreated Prisoners of War ( PoWs), often subjecting them to brutal treatment and torture. One of the most infamous examples of this was the Bataan Death March, which took place in the Philippines in 1942. Following the surrender of American and Filipino forces, Japanese soldiers forced the prisoners to march sixty miles to a prison camp, during which many died from starvation, dehydration, and brutality. The Chinese government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, initially adopted a strategy of attrition, hoping to wear down the Japanese army through guerrilla warfare and sabotage. However, this strategy proved ineffective, and by the end of 1938, the Japanese had captured most of eastern China. In 1939, the Nationalist Government moved its capital from Nanjing to Chongqing, a city in the southwest of China. The government began to receive aid from the United States of America, which provided military equipment and supplies through the Lend-Lease programme.
In 1941, Japan attacked the United States of America at Pearl Harbour, bringing the United States into World War II. The United States declared war on Japan, and the two countries became embroiled in a global conflict. China became a key ally of the United States, and American aid to China increased. In 1944, the Chinese army launched a major offensive against the Japanese, retaking large parts of Eastern China.
The war between China and Japan had profound consequences for both countries and for the world as well. The war caused suffering for the Chinese people, with estimates of civilian deaths ranging from 15 to 20 million. The war also left China weakened and divided, paving the way for the communist party to eventually take over in 1949. The war also had a significant impact on Japan, which was devastated by the conflict. The Japanese economy was in ruins, and Americans occupied the country. The war led to a period of introspection and soul-searching in Japan, as the country struggled to come to terms with its wartime actions.
In this great struggle, the Communist Party of China (CPC) played a pivotal and leading role. With strong political leadership, the Communist Party of China united and rallied the forces of the entire nation of China in the War of Resistance, fostered the establishment of the National United Front, and formulated practical strategies and an effective roadmap to the final victory. The CPC shouldered, with unwavering resolve, the historic responsibility of saving the nation from peril. China is a stabilizing force in safeguarding the current international order. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China has always been a builder of world peace and a guardian of the international order. From advocating the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in 1954 to becoming one of the major troop-contributing countries for UN peacekeeping operations; from promoting political solutions to hot-button issues, such as the North Korea nuclear issue and the Iran nuclear issue, to proposing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative; from joining multiple international arms control treaties to implementing a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, China has demonstrated its commitment to peaceful development through concrete actions. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has deployed over 50,000 peacekeeping personnel to participate in nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions, setting a fine example in strengthening the UN's leading role in international security and promoting peaceful dispute resolution. Standing at a new Chapter of history, China will continue to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, contributing wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
80 years ago, Japan was defeated, accepted the Potsdam Proclamation and announced its unconditional surrender. The war of aggression waged by Japanese militarists at that time inflicted catastrophes on the people of China and other Asian countries. A series of international documents, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, clearly defined Japan's responsibility for the war and required that Japan return all the territories it had stolen from China, including Taiwan. This is an indisputable outcome of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and constitutes an important part of the post-war international order. Yet till today, certain forces in Japan are still trying to whitewash or deny the aggression, distort or falsify history, and even honor the war criminals and their crimes. Such despicable and disgraceful actions bring shame upon themselves, and challenge the United Nations Charter, the post-war international order, human conscience, and all the people of the victorious countries. Only by facing up to history can respect be earned; only by drawing lessons from history can a future be forged; only by remembering the past can straying onto the wrong path again be avoided.
China celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Chinese victory against Japan. The government of China organized an array of cultural events to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. These cultural activities included an evening gala, a themed exhibition, and the release of outstanding literary and artistic works, among others. Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Lu Yingchuan said to mark this important anniversary year, the ministry has worked with relevant departments to organize a gala and create a selection of outstanding cultural works for performance and exhibition. The events were centered on the themes of bearing history in mind, honoring martyrs, cherishing peace, and striving for a better future. September 3rd is being celebrated in China as Victory Day marking the signing of the Japanese instruments of Surrender on September 2, 1945.
An evening gala will be held on Sept. 3 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the occasion, and it will be broadcast by China Media Group (CMG).
A large number of outstanding artists from across the country have been invited, and a younger generation of cultural professionals will play a leading role and actively engage in the creative process. The event will be jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, CMG, the Political Work Department of the China Military Commission, and the Beijing municipal government.
Preparations for the gala are well underway via joint efforts of the relevant departments.
A themed exhibition was held on July 7 at the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing. It featured 1,525 photographs and 3,237 relics. Divided into eight sections, the exhibition employed a range of modern display techniques to bring history to life, combining rare relics, archival documents, historical footage, artworks, and immersive recreations of key moments.
The exhibition comprehensively showcased the 14-year war of resistance against Japanese aggression, highlighted how the Chinese people, gathered around the banner of the CPC, advocated a national united front against Japanese aggression, fought for the survival of the country, for the revival of the nation, and in a broader sense, for human justice.
As the main Eastern battlefield in the global fight against fascism, China's resistance was decisive in defeating Japanese fascism and supporting other fronts in Europe and Asia, profoundly contributing to the final victory and world peace.
From August to September, an art exhibition to commemorate the anniversary will be open to the public at the National Art Museum of China. More than 300 artworks, including traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, prints, sculptures, and watercolors, will be on show. The exhibition is set to feature classic pieces from museums and cultural institutions across the country, as well as new works recently created by young artists -- inspiring people to cherish peace. Meanwhile, a series of new TV dramas, documentaries, and short dramas will soon be released. To remember history and pay tribute to martyrs, nearly 100 films about the war will also be broadcast on TV until the end of 2025.
China today is a world champion in science, technology, and the economy. It is connected with 150 countries under its Belt and Road Initiative. World powers other than China have a long history of aggression, sabotage, and regime change. They mostly focused on militarization and had almost 400 military bases in Asia alone. Invasions against Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of millions of people. The United States of America backed, supported, and financed Israel and played the role of a partner in genocide in Gaza. India played the role of a Western proxy against China to stop its advancement and development. All efforts to stop China failed, and now India has shaken hands with China. China is the global leader of development, science and technology, trade and investment, and the world's future depends on China. China is an important player in the global power scenario and cannot be ignored. It is in the larger interest of the global durable peace and stability that there should be more centers of power instead of one. China believes in peace, investment, business, and sharing resources and its influence in global economy and politics would pave the way for a balance of power, peace, and stability.
China is a country in East Asia. It is the world’s most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion, covering about 9.6 million square kilometers. It is the world’s third-largest state by area.
China is the factory of the world. In 1970 its global production contribution was only 3% now it is 25%, it is exporting to about 200 countries and producing about 80% of world’s air conditioners, 70 % mobiles, 60% shoes, 74% solar sales, 60 % cement, 50% coal, 45% ship building, 50% steel, is being produced by just one country “CHINA”. It is also astonishing that about 50% apples are produced by China, while the USA, which is second in rank, only produces 7 % apples of the world. It is now the world’s largest economy with a GDP of $ 30.18 trillion (PPP). It is also the largest exporter in the world with $ 2.2 trillion in exports. Surprisingly, 90% American flags are also manufactured in China. It is normally thought that China can only produce cheap goods but people are highly surprised when they are told that 60% of the most branded luxurious items are produced in China. In the 1970s, it was poorer than African countries. In 1978, its per capita income was just $ 155 dollars while it jumped to $ 7,590, which is a 49 times increase. It lifted more than 800 million people from poverty. Its mass production policies destroyed the price structure of most of the world’s famous companies and countries. It has a competitive edge over many countries due to its mass-scale production. Its workforce is highly trained, efficient, active, vibrant, and experienced. China is the largest economy in the world by PPP since 2014, the world’s second largest economy by nominal GDP since 2010, and the largest economy in Eurasia. Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, China’s economy has been the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with an annual growth rate consistently above 10%. According to the World Bank, China’s GDP grew $ 150 billion in 1978 to US$12.24 trillion by 2017. China also recorded the fastest rise in GDP per capita in the world from 1960 to 2018. China is the largest exporter and second-largest importer in the world after America. One of the world’s foremost infrastructural giants, China has the world’s largest bullet train network, the most super-tall skyscrapers in the world. China borders 14 countries, more than any other country except Russia.
China is focusing on modernization, especially cutting-edge technologies of 21st century like 5G, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, and according to a landmark by the Harvard University, The Great Tech Rivalry, China versus United States, China is displacing the US in high-tech manufacturing, evident in the recent launch of Huwei and Deep Seek which has beat American sanctions by producing and advanced, sophisticated, state of the art technology product.
In early 2025, China saw a technological innovation achievement in almost all fields, including movies, videos, artificial intelligence, computers, laptops, space technology, robotics, drones, and defence technology. It is the outcome of unwavering commitment and vision of its leadership, a sincere, far-sighted, intelligent President Xi Jinping. Of course, it was not possible without the support of his people, who too are like their leadership, are hardworking, patriotic who helped him to turn his vision into a reality. This visible and globally felt change results from China’s strategic resolve, market dynamism, and societal collaboration. Although this transformation is going on, it is finally visible to the world and can be felt at every level. It might be beyond the imagination of the people. It will continue to evolve and become a new paradigm of industrial civilization.
Today, Chinese products, from TikTok, Shein, BYD, and DJI to the global contributions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models like Qwen and DeepSeek, are irresistible due to their better quality and lower prices. The Chinese system is designed to take advantage of new inventions and new techniques. The Chinese government, with its staunch support and vision, defeated the concept and theory of the invincible hand by Adam Smith (1759) . While corporate profits disproportionately direct America’s top talent into a handful of industries, China’s industrial policy has evolved far beyond outdated stereotypes. By fully leveraging market forces and empowering private enterprises, the government is focused on addressing market failures and sharing innovation costs with individual firms. Besides, US capitalism has been shifting its attention away from the manufacturing sector for a long time. With the imposition of tariffs on friends, allies, and competitors alike, the US has taken a reverse gear just to defeat China, but it is too late. These tactics are hurting America itself, and in a day, about was washed out from American stock markets.
Comparing Research and Development (R&D) investments between China and the US vividly illustrates the value of China’s industrial policy. According to the US National Science Foundation, American companies invested US$692.7 billion in R&D in 2022, while China invested US$354billion. The gap was significant even if the figures were adjusted for purchasing power parity ( PPP). However, a closer look reveals the uneven distribution of the United States’ investment in innovation: only slightly more than half of its corporate R&D spending went to manufacturing, and within that, about one-third was invested in the pharmaceutical sector. In contrast, over 80% of China’s corporate Research and Development investment flowed into manufacturing, with the information and communication technology (ICT) sector accounting for 20% of the investment, the largest among all other manufacturing sectors. The investment strategy that concentrates on a particular industry and diversifies into companies not only ensures a healthier distribution of talent and financial resources but also creates an environment where Chinese companies can leverage relative advantages, much like the ancient strategy of " Tian Ji horse racing”.
Today is the ERA OF CHINA, and the WORLD’s FUTURE DEPENDS ON CHINA. China is entering a GOLDEN AGE of Innovation. Millions of SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING and MATHEMATICS (STEM) graduates from its universities and trillions of Yuan in annual Research and Development investments, both domestic and international, are fueling a diverse corporate ecosystem. CHINA IS LEADING, CHINA IS WINNING. We are proud to have a friend like CHINA.
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