China's Battlefield Opened the Eastern Main Battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War

Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out that China's War of Resistance was a worldwide war of resistance. The great Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression opened up the Eastern Main Battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War, played a decisive role in the complete defeat of Japanese fascism, demonstrated the powerful strength of the Chinese nation in upholding the cause of human justice, and made historic contributions that will shine through the annals of history to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

毛泽东同志指出，中国的抗战是世界性的抗战。伟大的中国人民抗日战争，开辟了世界反法西斯战争的东方主战场，对彻底战胜日本法西斯起到决定性的作用，彰显了中华民族维护人类正义事业的强大力量，为世界反法西斯战争胜利作出彪炳史册的历史贡献。

Opening the First Anti-Fascist Battlefield

开辟第一个反法西斯战场

On September 18, 1931, Japan deliberately engineered the September 18 Incident [1]1 The September 18 Incident (also known as the Mukden Incident) of 1931 was a staged event used by Japan as a pretext to invade and occupy Northeast China., launching an armed invasion of Northeast China. The September 18 Incident revealed the wolfish ambition of Japanese fascism and posed a serious threat to world peace and stability. To resist the Japanese aggressors, the Chinese Communist Party was the first to raise high the banner of armed resistance against Japan, sounding the clarion call for a national self-defense war. The Chinese people's resistance in the White Mountains and Black Waters [2]2 "White Mountains and Black Waters" is a classical Chinese poetic reference to the Changbai Mountains (white peaks) and the Heilong River (black waters), collectively denoting the Northeast region of China. became the starting point of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and, at the same time, lifted the curtain on the World Anti-Fascist War.

1931年9月18日，日本蓄意制造九一八事变，武装侵略中国东北。九一八事变暴露了日本法西斯的狼子野心，严重威胁世界和平与稳定。为抗击日本侵略者，中国共产党率先高举武装抗日的旗帜，吹响民族自卫战争的号角。中国人民在白山黑水间的奋起抵抗，成为中国人民抗日战争的起点，同时揭开了世界反法西斯战争的序幕。

On July 7, 1937, the Japanese army brazenly provoked the Lugouqiao Incident [3]3 The Lugouqiao Incident (also known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident) of July 7, 1937, was the clash that triggered the full-scale outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War.; the local Chinese garrison rose up in resistance, and the all-out War of Resistance of the whole nation broke out. To defend their homes and country, the Chinese nation was united as one to resist Japanese fascist aggression. During the period of Japan's strategic offensive and China's strategic defensive, the total number of troops committed by both sides exceeded 4 million, the battle line stretched over 1,800 kilometers, and the flames of war spread to more than ten provinces of China. Chinese soldiers and civilians, sharing a bitter hatred of the enemy and fighting bloody battles, inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese army and opened up the world's first large-scale anti-fascist battlefield in the East.

1937年7月7日，日军悍然挑起卢沟桥事变，当地中国驻军奋起抵抗，全民族抗战由此爆发。为保家卫国，中华民族万众一心共同抵抗日本法西斯侵略。在日本战略进攻、中国战略防御期间，中日双方投入总兵力达400余万，战线长达1800多公里，战火遍及中国十多个省区。中国军民同仇敌忾，浴血奋战，使日军付出惨重代价，在东方开辟了世界第一个大规模的反法西斯战场。

With the outbreak of the Pacific War, China's War of Resistance became integrated with the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese soldiers and civilians struggled hard and persisted in the war of resistance, annihilating and pinning down a large number of Japanese troops, smashing the Japanese fascist attempt to subjugate China and dominate the world. The Chinese battlefield continued to play the role of the Eastern Main Battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War. Entering 1945, the anti-fascist war was about to see the dawn of victory. In the European theater, the anti-fascist war was nearing final victory; in the Asian and Pacific theaters, the Allied forces were approaching the Japanese homeland; on the Chinese battlefield, a local counteroffensive began, and the Japanese army was at the end of its tether. From the September 18 Incident to Japan's unconditional surrender, the Chinese people persisted in the War of Resistance for 14 years, creating an example in human history of the weak defeating the strong, and seizing the final victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

随着太平洋战争的爆发，中国抗战同世界反法西斯战争成为一体。中国军民艰苦奋斗，坚持抗战，大量歼灭与牵制了日军，打破了日本法西斯企图灭亡中国、称霸世界的图谋。中国战场继续发挥了世界反法西斯战争东方主战场的作用。进入1945年，反法西斯战争即将迎来胜利的曙光。在欧洲战场，反法西斯战争已临近最后胜利；在亚洲、太平洋战场，盟军逼近日本本土；中国战场开始了局部反攻，日军陷入穷途末路。从九一八事变到日本无条件投降，中国人民坚持抗战14年之久，创造了人类历史上以弱制强的范例，夺取了中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争的最终胜利。

Pinning Down the Main Force of the Japanese Army and Supporting Other Theaters

牵制日军主力 支援其他战场

In the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese battlefield resisted and pinned down the vast majority of Japan's army forces and part of its naval and air forces, constrained Japan's "Northern Advance" and "Southern Advance" plans, and effectively coordinated with and supported the anti-fascist wars on other battlefields.

在世界反法西斯战争中，中国战场抗击和牵制了日本绝大部分的陆军兵力和部分海空军力量，制约了日本的“北进”和“南进”计划，有力配合与策应了其他战场的反法西斯战争。

The Chinese battlefield pinned down and inflicted the heaviest casualties on the main force of the Japanese army, annihilated the largest number of Japanese troops, lasted the longest, and exacted the greatest price. From 1937 to the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941, the vast majority of Japan's forces were on the Chinese battlefield; the number of Japanese army divisions in China accounted for 80% of the total Japanese army divisions. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, still more than one million Japanese troops were deeply bogged down on the Chinese battlefield and unable to extricate themselves. According to statistics, the Chinese people paid a huge price of 35 million military and civilian casualties to win the War of Resistance, with direct economic losses exceeding 100 billion US dollars and indirect economic losses exceeding 500 billion US dollars.

中国战场牵制和毙伤日本陆军主力最多，歼灭日军人数最多，持续时间最长，付出代价最大。1937年至1941年太平洋战争爆发前，日本绝大多数兵力都在中国战场，日本陆军在华师团数占日本陆军师团总数的80％。太平洋战争爆发后，日军仍有百万以上的兵力深陷中国战场无法抽身。据统计，中国人民为赢得抗日战争的胜利，付出了3500万名军民伤亡的巨大代价，直接经济损失高达1000多亿美元，间接经济损失多达5000亿美元。

China's War of Resistance not only pinned down a large number of Japanese troops, but also powerfully supported the strategic needs of the Allies, making an irreplaceable contribution to winning the World Anti-Fascist War. To cooperate with the Allies in the war against Japan, China sent the Chinese Expeditionary Force [4]4 The Chinese Expeditionary Force was a military unit sent by the Republic of China to Burma to fight alongside the Allies against Japan from 1942 to 1945. urgently into Burma to support the British forces. Subsequently, the Chinese Army in India [5]5 The Chinese Army in India (also known as the X Force) was a Chinese military force trained and equipped by the United States in India during World War II to recapture northern Burma. and the Chinese Expeditionary Force successively launched strategic counteroffensives against the Japanese in northern Burma and western Yunnan. At the time of the link-up at Muse [6]6 The link-up at Muse (also written as Momeik or Monywa in some sources; actually the junction at the town of Muse on the Burma-China border) in January 1945 marked the meeting of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the Chinese Army in India after their successful counteroffensive. in 1945, they killed nearly 50,000 enemy troops, annihilated and exhausted the effective strength of the Japanese, effectively coordinated with the Allies' operations on other battlefields, and enhanced China's international prestige. At the same time, as an important strategic base for the Allied operations against Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, China not only provided air bases for the Allies, but also supplied scarce strategic materials such as tin and tungsten, supporting the anti-fascist war with manpower, material resources, and financial resources.

中国抗战不仅牵制了大量日军，更有力地支援了盟国的战略需求，为赢得世界反法西斯战争胜利作出了不可替代的贡献。为配合盟军对日作战，中国派出远征军紧急开赴缅甸，支援英军作战。其后，中国驻印军和远征军先后在缅北、滇西对日军发起战略反攻，1945年芒友会师时，共毙敌近5万人，歼灭和消耗了日军的有生力量，有力配合了盟军在其他战场的作战，提高了中国的国际声望。与此同时，中国作为亚太地区盟军对日作战的重要战略基地，不仅为同盟国提供了空军基地，还提供了锡、钨等稀有战略物资，从人力、物力、财力上支援了反法西斯战争。

Establishing Great Power Status and Participating in Rebuilding Postwar Order

确立大国地位 参与重建战后秩序

The arduous war of resistance of the Chinese soldiers and civilians and the important military value demonstrated by the Chinese battlefield brought about the improvement and elevation of China's status in the international community. To further win over China, the United States and Britain, especially the United States, strengthened their forces to counterattack Japan in the Pacific theater and actively promoted the resolution of the abolition of unequal treaties with China. In January 1943, China and the United States and China and Britain respectively signed the Sino-American New Treaty and the Sino-British New Treaty [7]7 The Sino-American New Treaty (formally the Treaty for the Relinquishment of Extraterritorial Rights in China) and the Sino-British New Treaty, signed in January 1943, abolished the extraterritorial privileges and related rights that the two countries had held in China under the unequal treaties., which announced the abolition of extraterritoriality and related privileges of the United States and Britain in China. Under this influence, other countries that had enjoyed privileges in China also successively announced the renunciation of their privileges and signed new treaties with China. China gradually became an equal member of the international community.

中国军民的艰苦抗战，中国战场所显示出的重要军事价值，促成了中国在国际社会地位的改善和提高。为进一步争取中国，美、英两国特别是美国加强在太平洋战场反击日本的力量，积极促成解决废除对华不平等条约问题。1943年1月，中美、中英分别签订《中美新约》和《中英新约》，宣布取消美、英两国在中国的治外法权及有关特权。在此影响下，其他在华享有特权的国家也相继宣布放弃在华特权，与中国签订新约。中国逐步成为国际社会的平等一员。

With the abolition of the unequal treaties, China gradually established its status as a great power in the international community. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Allies began to truly realize the important strategic position of the Chinese battlefield. In January 1942, China, the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union led 26 anti-fascist countries in signing the Declaration by United Nations in Washington, announcing coordinated operations to fight the anti-fascist war to the end, and the world anti-fascist united front was formally formed. China, as one of the "Four Great Powers," formally appeared in international documents and on the international stage, and its great power status was confirmed. In October 1945, the Charter of the United Nations came into effect. China, as a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, further confirmed its great power status. As one of the five permanent members, China actively participated in international affairs, supported the independence movements of neighboring countries, safeguarded the interests of small and weak nations, fought side by side with the Allied countries, and played a significant role in completely defeating fascism and establishing the postwar order.

随着不平等条约的废除，中国逐步确立了在国际社会的大国地位。太平洋战争爆发后，盟国开始真正意识到中国战场的重要战略地位。1942年1月，中、美、英、苏四国领衔26个抗击法西斯的国家在华盛顿签署《联合国家宣言》，宣布为将这场反法西斯战争进行到底而协同作战，世界反法西斯统一战线正式形成。中国作为“四大国”之一正式出现在国际文件和国际舞台上，大国地位得以确认。1945年10月，《联合国宪章》正式生效。中国作为联合国创始会员国、安理会常任理事国，进一步确认了大国地位。作为五大常任理事国之一，中国积极参与国际事务支持邻国的独立运动，维护弱小民族的利益，与同盟国并肩作战，为彻底打败法西斯和建立战后秩序发挥了重大作用。

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, reviewing and reflecting on this history of justice triumphing over evil, light over darkness, and progress over reaction is not only a defense of the fruits of victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and international fairness and justice, but also a positive impetus to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

在中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年之际，回顾与思考这段正义战胜邪恶、光明战胜黑暗、进步战胜反动的历史，既是对世界反法西斯战争胜利成果和国际公平正义的捍卫，更是对构建人类命运共同体的积极推动。

(The author is an Associate Research Fellow at the Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression)

（作者系中国人民抗日战争纪念馆副研究馆员）

Online Editor: Tongxin

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