By Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia
ON 7 August, my colleagues and I travelled to Taungoo in Myanmar’s Bago Region to pay tribute at the Chinese Expeditionary Force Monument. Each year, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar holds this memorial ceremony to revisit history, honour fallen heroes, and convey a message of lasting peace. This year, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the ceremony carried particular significance. Standing before the monument, I could not help but recall how, more than eight decades ago, the soldiers and civilians of China and Myanmar fought shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other. The profound bond, forged through the blood and sacrifice of both peoples, rang out as a heroic anthem to the “Pauk-Phaw” friendship between China and Myanmar amid the flames of war.
Eighty years ago, the just forces of the world, including China and Myanmar, rose in defiance, fought with courage, defeated the once-arrogant Fascist powers, and laid the foundation for the post-war international system and order. Today, eight decades later, unilateralism is on the rise, bullying practices are spreading, and the tide of historical nihilism is making a comeback. Some deliberately downplay the important contribution of the Eastern main battlefield to securing the global victory over Fascism, romanticize colonial rule, or even deny the very history of Fascist aggression. We must remain vigilant against such dangerous trends. With this in mind, I would like to share my thoughts on how World War II should be viewed from a correct historical perspective.
We must uphold a peace-oriented historical perspective on World War II. War is like a mirror – it reflects the priceless value of peace. World War II was an unprecedented catastrophe in human history, engulfing Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. More than 60 nations took part, and over 80 countries and regions – about two billion people, or four-fifths of the world’s population at the time – were drawn into the war, inflicting unparalleled devastation on human civilization. The flames of World War II were first kindled in the East by Japanese militarists. From that moment, China’s destiny became inseparably linked with that of Asia and with the cause of world peace. The China Theatre was the first to open and the longest to endure. From the Mukden Incident (September 18 Incident) in 1931 to Japan’s surrender in 1945, the Chinese people fought a 14-year war of resistance against aggression, enduring immense national sacrifice and suffering over 35 million casualties.
War brings humanity nothing but boundless suffering and grief. The crimes of Japanese militarism inflicted deep wounds not only on the Chinese, the Myanmar people, and other nations across Asia, but also on the Japanese people themselves. To remember this history is not to perpetuate hatred, but to chart a better course forward – to pass on the torch of peace from one generation to the next. The painful lessons of World War II remind us that the strong preying on the weak and the law of the jungle are not the way for humans to coexist; that winner-takes-all and zero-sum competition lead nowhere for humanity; and that aggression and plunder are not inevitable milestones to becoming a great power. The only correct and enduring path for humankind is to safeguard peace, foster development, and promote cooperation. After World War II — when the wounds of hot war had yet to heal and the tensions of the Cold War were already emerging – the elder leaders of China and Myanmar jointly put forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. This historic initiative offered a profound answer to the questions of how to preserve peace and uphold sovereignty. Over the decades, these principles have stood the test of time, bearing witness to the enduring power of peace.
We must uphold a just historical perspective on World War II. The World Anti-Fascist War was a decisive battle between justice and evil, light and darkness, freedom and slavery. Japanese aggressors committed a series of brutal and inhumane acts across China and Southeast Asia. On 13 December 1937, the invading Japanese army perpetrated the horrific Nanjing Massacre. Over the course of just six weeks, they mercilessly slaughtered 300,000 civilians and unarmed Chinese soldiers in Nanjing, subjected countless women to rape and torture, and stained the Yangtze River with torrents of blood. This stands as one of the most savage and barbaric war crimes of World War II, and an appalling atrocity in the history of human civilization. Japanese forces also launched atrocious biological and chemical warfare against the Chinese people, conducting inhumane live human experiments and committing crimes against humanity on an enormous scale. In June 1942, they began constructing the Thailand-Burma Railway in Southeast Asia, forcibly mobilizing 62,000 Allied prisoners of war and more than 350,000 conscripted labourers, including 180,000 Burmese workers. These prisoners and labourers were subjected to gruelling, physically demanding work with primitive tools amid severe food shortages and rampant disease, resulting in nearly 150,000 deaths, a staggering mortality rate of 37.5 per cent. This “Death Railway” stands as irrefutable evidence of Japan’s brutal military domination in Southeast Asia.
Tragically, to this day, some deny the brutal crimes committed by the Japanese army, some continue to glorify Japan’s so-called “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” and its false claim of “liberating Asia,” and some persist in venerating war criminals stained with blood. Such actions blur the lines between right and wrong and affront the conscience of humanity. The war of resistance against the Japanese by the Chinese people and Southeast Asia was a just war against Japanese militarist aggression, a fight to reclaim territorial sovereignty, a struggle for national liberation, and a defence of freedom and independence. It was a progressive war of resistance, fundamentally defined by its justice. History has proven and will continue to prove that justice inevitably triumphs over evil, and light over darkness.
We must uphold an objective historical perspective on World War II. Influenced by Cold War mentalities and ideological biases, the role and significance of China’s War of Resistance have long been underestimated and insufficiently acknowledged. Driven by geopolitical interests, some countries and politicians have ignored historical facts and sought to deny China’s contributions to World War II. The truth is that while major Western powers pursued policies of compromise and appeasement toward Japanese aggression, the Chinese people raised the banner of anti-fascist resistance, took up arms, fired the opening shots of the global anti-fascist struggle, and launched the first chapter of the worldwide fight against fascism. From 1931 to 1941, China largely stood alone in mounting a determined defence against Japanese fascism. Before Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was the principal theatre of the World Anti-Fascist War. And prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941, it remained the sole battlefield opposing Japanese fascist aggression. Under the leadership and unifying banner of the Anti-Japanese National United Front established by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people united and fought relentlessly, ultimately securing a great victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Rana Mitter, Director of the Oxford University China Centre, states plainly in his book Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937-1945: “For decades, a major piece (China) of World War II history has gone virtually unwritten.”
As early as 1938, the Chinese and Japanese sides had deployed over four million troops, with a frontline stretching more than 1,800 kilometres and a combat zone covering some 1.6 million square kilometres. Approximately 400 million people in China were directly or indirectly involved in the war. China’s battlefield efforts tied down more than two-thirds of Japan’s ground forces, as well as a significant portion of its navy and air force, effectively immobilizing Japanese fascism and trapping it in a prolonged and exhausting war it could not escape. China’s enduring resistance halted Japan’s planned northern advance into Siberia, delayed its southward push into Southeast Asia, and strongly supported the United States and the United Kingdom in their fight against Japan. These efforts laid a solid foundation for the eventual total victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. As President Franklin D Roosevelt once remarked: “Without China, or if China had been defeated, many more Japanese divisions would have been deployed to other areas and they would have been able to occupy Australia and India immediately without any trouble, and then push to the Middle East.”
We must uphold a comprehensive historical perspective on World War II. The victory in the World Anti-Fascist War was a collective achievement shared by the Chinese theatre, the European theatre, the Pacific theatre, and the North African theatre – each theatre’s contribution was indispensable and must not be overlooked. Myanmar, located southwest of China, bordering India to the west and facing the Indian Ocean, held a crucial strategic position. The Burmese theatre was a key part of the Eastern theatre in the World Anti-Fascist War. The armed forces of China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Allied nations fought alongside the Burmese military and civilians against the Japanese invaders, creating many heroic and poignant stories. Completed in 1938, the Burma Road (connecting Kunming, Yunnan, to Lashio ) became the only secure supply route between the Chinese theatre and the Allied forces. Vast amounts of international aid destined for China were transported along this road. Most supplies first arrived at the port of Yangon, were then carried by rail to Lashio, and finally transported via the Burma Road to China through Wanding. In 1942, aiming to cut off the Burma Road, the Japanese launched a large-scale invasion of Myanmar. To protect China’s war rear and support the justice cause of the international anti-fascist alliance, the Chinese Expeditionary Force deployed around 400,000 soldiers in multiple campaigns in Myanmar, suffering nearly 200,000 casualties. On March 27, 1945, the people of Myanmar rose up in a nationwide uprising against the Japanese occupation, eventually driving the invaders out of the country.
A comprehensive historical perspective on World War II also includes recognizing the post-war international order. The most significant decision made by the international community near the end of World War II was the establishment of the United Nations. In today’s complex and turbulent international environment, we must remain steadfast in defending an international system centred on the United Nations, an international order founded on international law, and fundamental norms of international relations grounded in the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s Retrocession. Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the achievements of World War II and the post-war international order. A series of documents with the force of international law, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration, all affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, forming a key element of the post-war world order. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted Resolution 2758, which restored all lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the UN and immediately expelled representatives of the Taiwan authorities from the UN and its affiliated bodies. This resolution confirmed the One-China Principle: there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of all China.
The Chinese Expeditionary Force Monuments in Taungoo, Yenangyaung, and Myitkyina, along with the Burma Road and the Wanding Bridge, stand as enduring symbols of the shared history between China and Myanmar in their joint resistance against fascism. It is through this common experience of hardship that we come to deeply appreciate the priceless value of peace. President Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must learn from history, especially the hard lessons of the Second World War. We must draw wisdom and strength from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics. We must work together to build a brighter future for humanity.” China is committed to working alongside Myanmar to safeguard the achievements of World War II and the post-war international order, uphold international fairness and justice, advance the building of the China-Myanmar community with a shared future, and thereby contribute more to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we will help steer the world towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.
(Views expressed in the article belong solely to the author)
