Episode Details

Commemorative activities have been held across China to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s unconditional surrender in World War II. When China first faced the onslaught of Japanese militarism in 1931, it was ten years earlier than the Pearl Harbor attack. Between 1931 and 1945, China’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression resulted in more than 35 million Chinese military and civilian casualties. How did the war shape contemporary China? What was China's contribution to the Allied Powers’ defeat of Japanese militarism? Why does commemorating that part of history matter? Host Ding Heng is joined by Peter Kuznick, Professor of History at American University; Warwick Powell, Senior Fellow of Taihe Institute and Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology; Wang Zhengxu, Professor of Political Science with Zhejiang University.