On WWII anniversary, China seeks to erase U.S. role in victory

[Zorro]

As it celebrates the 80th anniversary of Japanese surrender, China is trying to recast wartime history by downplaying U.S. help while emphasizing Moscow’s role.

China is awash in nationalist fervor ahead of its celebration of the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, which Beijing will mark Wednesday with a grand parade showcasing its military prowess.

Alongside the spectacle, a quieter campaign is unfolding: one to recast wartime history in service of today’s geopolitical tensions with Washington.

In the run-up to the anniversary, several state-aligned scholars, media outlets and think tanks have downplayed the significance of American assistance to China during World War II, casting the U.S. as a self-serving power then and now. The effort has spilled into popular culture: from highly anticipated films dramatizing China’s role in the Korean War against American forces to AI-generated videos of World War II soldiers marveling at modern-day China, which have gone viral on social media.

“The fundamental purpose of U.S. ‘aid’ to China was to protect its own interests in China; it was by no means assistance based on an equal relationship,” a piece in the Historical Review, affiliated with the state-run Chinese Academy of History, said in its August issue. A commentary published by state-backed, nationalist Red Culture Institute read: “Even without U.S. aid … China would have a chance of winning [against Japan].”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/09/01/china-world-war-2-history/