Remembering the great sacrifice of the Chinese people
- By James DeShaw Rae
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 1, 2015
This year, China will remember the culmination of that awful period by the establishment of a new national holiday and a massive military parade through Beijing. This holiday serves to remind the Chinese public of the country's historic vulnerability and newfound confidence in its national security following the liberation of the country in 1949.
It also reminds us of the enormous sacrifices made by the Chinese people to stall Japan's advancement before Western countries rebounded from setbacks in battles with Japan to secure victory. Estimates are that 15-20 million Chinese perished as a result of the war, with perhaps eight million civilians directly killed as a result of military actions.
Thus, the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is a seminal moment in China's modern history and its historical memory continues to shape public attitudes today.
The willingness of the Communist Party to adopt guerrilla tactics and engage Japanese forces gained dramatic respect from many across the country. Today, China and Korea condemn how Japanese textbooks represent the war and find public apologies from Japanese officials ringing hollow. Moreover, current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is leading a movement to establish Japan as a "normal nation" with the ability to project its military forces overseas once again, while the countries of northeast Asia dispute maritime island claims that serve as reminders of Japanese aggression.
Though many may contemplate the motivations for choosing to commemorate Sept. 3, 1945 in such grand fashion, no one can deny the profound importance of defending China's people and sovereignty from unprovoked aggression.
Establishing this national holiday guarantees that future generations of Chinese will not forget the sacrifices made by their forbears to protect a civilization covering several millennia. At the same time, historical memories serve as lessons for the future, and hopefully the occasion will serve as a catalyst to promote mutual understanding and avoid the practices that led the world to such great devastation.
The author is an associate professor in the Department of Government at California State University, Sacramento, and a Fulbright Scholar (2011-2012) at China Foreign Affairs University.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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