The Historic Contributions of China's War of Resistance from a Global Perspective

The victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as a pivotal hub for the Chinese nation's transition from decline to rejuvenation, achieved for the first time in modern history a thorough victory against foreign invasion and occupied a decisive position in the World Anti-Fascist War. China shouldered the historic responsibility of the Eastern Main Battlefield, becoming the decisive force in crushing Japanese fascism. China provided immense support to the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the Allied "Europe-first" strategy, making an indispensable and important contribution to victory on the European Main Battlefield. China's War of Resistance inspired anti-fascist aggression and national liberation movements in other colonial and semi-colonial countries and regions of the world.

中国人民抗日战争的胜利作为中华民族由沉沦走向复兴的重要枢纽，在近代史上首次实现了对外敌入侵的彻底胜利，在世界反法西斯战争中占有举足轻重的地位。中国扛起了东方主战场的历史重任，成为粉碎日本法西斯的决定性力量。中国对苏联卫国战争以及盟国“先欧后亚”战略予以巨大支持，为欧洲主战场取得胜利作出了不可或缺的重要贡献。中国抗战鼓舞了世界其他殖民地半殖民地国家和地区的反法西斯侵略和民族解放运动。

China was the decisive force in fighting and defeating Japan.

中国是抗击和打败日本的决定性力量

The Second World War went through a process of evolving from a series of local wars into a full-scale and world war; it was a life-and-death struggle between "justice and evil, light and darkness, progress and reaction." In the World Anti-Fascist War, China's War of Resistance was the earliest to begin, the longest to endure, and the one that paid the greatest sacrifices, becoming the main force that fought, contained, and defeated Japanese fascism, playing a decisive role in ultimately defeating Japanese fascism.

第二次世界大战经历了由一系列局部战争演化升级为全面战争和世界战争的过程，是一场“正义和邪恶、光明和黑暗、进步和反动”的生死搏斗。在世界反法西斯战争中，中国抗战开展时间最早、持续时间最长、付出牺牲最多，成为抗击、遏制和挫败日本法西斯的主力，为最终战胜日本法西斯发挥了决定性作用。

China was the first to raise the banner of anti-fascism, persistently fighting alone for a long period. Starting with the September 18 Incident [1]1 The September 18 Incident (1931): A staged event used by Japan to justify its invasion and occupation of Northeast China, marking the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China., the Chinese people were the first in the world to resist Japanese fascist aggression, opening the prelude to the World Anti-Fascist War. After the July 7 Incident [2]2 The July 7 Incident (1937): Also known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident; a clash between Chinese and Japanese troops near Beijing that triggered the full-scale outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War., China began an all-nation War of Resistance, opening the first large-scale anti-fascist battlefield in the world in Asia, becoming the world's forward outpost in resisting fascist aggression. Owing to the appeasement policies [3]3 Appeasement policies: The policy of making concessions to aggressor states (especially Japan and Germany) in the 1930s by Western powers, notably Britain and France, in the hope of avoiding war. of Western countries, China's War of Resistance was basically in a situation of isolation and grim solitary struggle for more than a decade after 1931. The establishment of the World Anti-Fascist United Front was inseparable from China's active advocacy and vigorous promotion.

中国率先举起反法西斯的旗帜，长期坚持独自作战。以九一八事变为起点，中国人民在世界范围内率先抗击日本法西斯侵略，揭开了世界反法西斯战争的序幕。七七事变后，中国开始了全民族抗战，在亚洲开辟了世界范围内首个大规模反法西斯战场，成为世界抵抗法西斯侵略的前哨。由于西方国家的绥靖政策，中国抗战在1931年后的10余年间基本上处于孤立无援、独自苦撑的局面。世界反法西斯统一战线的建立，离不开中国的积极倡导和大力推动。

China played the main force role at every stage of fighting Japanese fascism. Before the July 7 Incident, the broad masses of Chinese soldiers and civilians fought heroically, striking down the arrogance of the Japanese aggressors. Between the July 7 Incident in 1937 and the outbreak of the European war in 1939, China exhausted large numbers of Japanese troops through both the regular battlefield and the guerrilla battlefield behind enemy lines [4]4 Regular battlefield and guerrilla battlefield behind enemy lines: Terms used in Chinese historiography to distinguish between conventional military operations led by the Nationalist government (regular battlefield) and guerrilla warfare conducted by the Communist-led forces in Japanese-occupied areas (guerrilla battlefield behind enemy lines)., smashing Japan's strategy of "blitzkrieg" and containing Japan's expansion into other parts of Asia. From September 1939 to the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941, the China theater was in a phase of strategic stalemate [5]5 Strategic stalemate phase: In Chinese accounts of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), the period from late 1938 to late 1941 when neither side could achieve a decisive victory, marked by protracted attrition warfare.; China's fighting on the regular battlefield and the guerrilla battlefield behind enemy lines delayed Japan's launching of a full-scale war of aggression in the Asia-Pacific region. From the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941 to the end of the Second World War in September 1945, the Chinese People's War of Resistance merged with the World Anti-Fascist War; the China theater pinned down the main forces of the Japanese army as well as part of its naval and air strength, and was always the Eastern Main Battlefield for the international anti-fascist war against Japan.

中国在抗击日本法西斯的各个阶段都发挥了主力作用。在七七事变之前，中国广大军民英勇抵抗，打击了日本侵略者的嚣张气焰。在1937年七七事变到1939年欧战爆发之间，中国通过正面战场和敌后战场消耗了日军大量兵力，粉碎了日本“速战速决”的战略，遏制了日本向亚洲其他地区的扩张。1939年9月至1941年12月太平洋战争爆发前，中国战场处于战略相持阶段，中国在正面战场和敌后战场的战斗，延阻了日本在亚太地区发动全面侵略战争。1941年12月太平洋战争爆发至1945年9月第二次世界大战结束，中国人民抗日战争同世界反法西斯战争融为一体，中国战场牵制了日本陆军主力及部分海空力量，始终是国际反法西斯战争中对日作战的东方主战场。

The number of Japanese troops pinned down and annihilated by China far exceeded that of any other country. Between 1937 and 1945, Japan committed the majority of its forces to the China theater. According to incomplete statistics, during the all-nation War of Resistance, the China theater consumed 4.55 million effective Japanese military personnel (killed, wounded, captured, and surrendered), accounting for 70% of Japan's total losses. This demonstrates the decisive role China played in defeating Japanese fascism. China was one of the countries that suffered the deepest harm, the greatest losses, and the most casualties in the Second World War. Through arduous and bitter struggle and enormous national sacrifice, China won the final victory of the War of Resistance and the World Anti-Fascist War.

中国牵制和歼灭的日军远远超过其他国家。1937年至1945年间，日本将大部分兵力投入中国战场。据不完全统计，在全民族抗战期间，中国战场共消耗日本有生军事力量（毙、伤、俘、降）达455万人，占日军损失总兵员的70%。中国战胜日本法西斯的决定性作用由此可见一斑。中国是第二次世界大战受害最深、损失最大、伤亡最多的国家之一。中国以艰苦卓绝的战斗和巨大的民族牺牲赢得了抗日战争和世界反法西斯战争的最后胜利。

China's crucial support for the "Europe-first" strategy.

中国对“先欧后亚”战略的关键支持

Facing the frenzied aggression of German, Italian, and Japanese fascism, both the Soviet Union and Britain and the United States regarded Germany as the primary threat and formulated a "Europe-first" strategy [6]6 "Europe-first" strategy: The Allied grand strategy in World War II that gave priority to defeating Germany before focusing on Japan, adopted by the United States and Britain in coordination with the Soviet Union.. To implement this strategy, an important prerequisite was to firmly pin down Japanese forces on the Eastern Main Battlefield, cutting off coordination among the Axis powers in order to defeat them separately. China's War of Resistance pinned down the main forces of the Japanese army, successfully cooperating with the Allies in implementing the "Europe-first" strategy, enabling the Allies to avoid fighting on two fronts and to concentrate their forces on defeating German fascism. China's War of Resistance contained Japan's "Northern Expansion" plan [7]7 "Northern Expansion" plan: A Japanese military strategy aimed at attacking the Soviet Union from Manchuria to gain territory in Siberia, advocated by the Imperial Japanese Army but ultimately abandoned due to the quagmire in China. to invade Siberia, enabling the Soviet Union to avoid fighting on two fronts. Japan had formulated a "Northern Expansion" plan to attack the Soviet Far East, launching several tentative provocations against Soviet forces around 1939, all of which ended in failure. The main forces of the Japanese army were bogged down in the China theater and dared not rashly move north. After the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, Japan did not attack the Soviet Union at Germany's request, mainly because Japan was stuck in the China theater and could not extricate itself. China's protracted war greatly reduced the pressure on the Soviet Union in the Far East, enabling the Soviet Union to transfer forces from the Far East to the Western Front to concentrate on fighting German fascism, ultimately winning the Great Patriotic War.

面对德意日法西斯的疯狂侵略，无论是苏联还是英美，都将德国视为头号威胁，并制定了“先欧后亚”战略。而要实施这一战略，重要前提是将日军牢牢牵制在东方主战场，切断轴心国之间的配合，以便分而歼之。中国抗战牵制了日军主力，成功地配合盟国实施“先欧后亚”战略，使盟国避免了两线作战，可以集中力量挫败德国法西斯。中国抗战遏制了日本侵犯西伯利亚的“北进”计划，使苏联得以避免两线作战。日本曾制定攻打苏联远东地区的“北进”计划，在1939年前后数次向苏军发起试探性挑衅，但均以失败告终。日军主力深陷中国战场的泥潭，不敢贸然北进。在苏德战争爆发后，日本没有应德国要求出兵苏联，主要是因为日本深陷中国战场无法抽身。中国的持久战极大减轻了苏联在远东的压力，使苏联能抽调远东兵力投入西线，全力对付德国法西斯，最终赢得了伟大卫国战争的胜利。

China's War of Resistance pinned down and delayed Japan's "Southern Expansion" [8]8 "Southern Expansion" plan: A Japanese strategy of invading Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands to secure resources, carried out after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. steps to attack Southeast Asia, postponed the outbreak of the Pacific War, and provided important support for the Allies' implementation of the "Europe-first" strategy. To establish the so-called "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" [9]9 Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere: A propagandistic concept promoted by Japan during World War II to justify its imperial expansion, claiming to liberate Asian countries from Western colonialism while actually establishing Japanese hegemony., Japan formulated a "Southern Expansion" plan to conquer Southeast Asia. But because it was trapped in the China theater, Japan repeatedly postponed the "Southern Expansion" plan. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, China obeyed the anti-fascist Allies' "Europe-first" strategy, persisted in fighting Japan, pinned down the main forces of the Japanese army in the China theater, foiled the Axis plans for a pincer attack from east and west to meet in the Middle East, and created conditions for the anti-fascist Allies to defeat Germany and Japan separately. As the core strategic pivot of the Allied forces' war against Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, China not only provided crucial airfields, harbors, and large quantities of strategic materials and military intelligence, but also invested enormous human, material, and financial resources, powerfully supporting the overall anti-fascist war effort of the Allies. In short, on the Eastern Main Battlefield China was always the main force fighting Japanese fascism, creating conditions for the Allies to implement the "Europe-first" strategy, and making major contributions to the final victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

中国抗战牵制和延缓了日本进攻南洋的“南进”步伐，推迟了太平洋战争的爆发，为英美盟国实施“先欧后亚”战略提供了重要支持。为建立所谓“大东亚共荣圈”，日本制定了“南进”征服东南亚的计划。但由于被困中国战场，日本一再推迟“南进”计划。太平洋战争爆发后，中国服从反法西斯盟国的“先欧后亚”战略，坚持对日作战，将日本陆军主力牵制在中国战场，粉碎了轴心国从东西两面夹击、会师中东的图谋，为反法西斯盟国分别击破德日法西斯创造了条件。中国作为亚太地区盟军对日作战的核心战略支点，不仅提供了关键的机场、港湾以及大量战略物资与军事情报，而且以巨大的人力、物力和财力投入，有力支撑了盟国的反法西斯战争全局。总之，中国在东方主战场一直是抗击日本法西斯的主力，为盟国实施“先欧后亚”战略创造了条件，为世界反法西斯战争的最后胜利作出重大贡献。

China's War of Resistance promoted the development of world national liberation movements.

中国抗战推动世界民族解放运动发展

The victory of China's War of Resistance was the first complete victory in a national liberation war in modern Chinese history, a vital hub for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, washing away a century of humiliation, and establishing China's status as a great power. China's War of Resistance was a great inspiration to other colonial and semi-colonial countries and regions of the world, and pulled back the curtain on post-war world national liberation movements.

中国抗战的胜利是近代以来中国首次取得彻底胜利的民族解放战争，是中华民族走向复兴的重要枢纽，洗雪百年耻辱，确立了中国的大国地位。中国抗战对世界其他殖民地半殖民地国家和地区是巨大的鼓舞，拉开了战后世界民族解放运动的序幕。

The victory of China's War of Resistance was an important turning point for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Since modern times, China had gradually declined into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society [10]10 Semi-colonial and semi-feudal society: A term used in Chinese Marxist historiography to describe China's social formation from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, characterized by partial foreign domination and a decaying feudal structure.; the nation was subjected to humiliation, the people suffered, and civilization was covered in dust. China's War of Resistance achieved an unprecedented unity of the Chinese nation, and the sense of community of the Chinese nation gradually took shape and was unprecedentedly strengthened. The War of Resistance was the first war in which the Chinese people won a complete victory in modern times. China abolished a large number of unequal treaties, recovered some territories including Taiwan, and its international status rose to an unprecedented level, allowing it to re-enter the ranks of the world's great powers. The War of Resistance strengthened the people's revolutionary forces [11]11 People's revolutionary forces: Refers to the military and political forces led by the Chinese Communist Party, including the People's Liberation Army and its base areas, which expanded during the War of Resistance. led by the Chinese Communist Party, laying a solid foundation for the founding of a New China under the leadership of the proletariat.

中国抗战的胜利是中华民族复兴的重要转折点。近代以来，中国逐步沦为半殖民地半封建社会，国家蒙辱、人民蒙难、文明蒙尘。中国抗战实现了中华民族的空前团结，中华民族共同体意识逐步形成并空前增强。抗战是近代以来中国人民取得完全胜利的首次战争，中国废止了大量不平等条约，收复了包括台湾在内的部分领土，中国国际地位空前提高，重新跻身世界大国之林。抗战壮大了中国共产党领导的人民革命力量，为无产阶级领导的新中国的成立奠定了坚实基础。

China's War of Resistance inspired the confidence and courage of colonial and semi-colonial countries and regions that suffered aggression and oppression to fight for national independence and liberation, and promoted the development of post-war national liberation movements. China's persistent War of Resistance shattered the lies of the fascist countries, especially Japan's claims about establishing an "East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" and helping Asia break free from Western colonial rule, and spurred other countries to resist Japanese aggression. Moreover, even under extremely difficult conditions, China supported neighboring countries in their resistance against Japan. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, at the request of Britain, in 1942 China dispatched an Expeditionary Force to Burma to support British forces in fighting Japan, annihilating large numbers of Japanese troops and protecting India's security. China also supported Vietnam and Thailand in their wars of resistance against Japanese aggression. China's War of Resistance dealt a heavy blow to Japanese fascism and pushed forward the collapse of the colonial system. The victory of China's War of Resistance became the vanguard of the surging national independence movements around the world after the war, promoted the development of national liberation movements in vast areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and greatly changed the post-war international order.

中国抗战鼓舞了世界上遭受侵略和压迫的殖民地半殖民地国家和地区争取民族独立和解放的信心与勇气，推动了战后民族解放运动的发展。中国坚持抗战，粉碎了法西斯国家尤其是日本所谓建立“东亚共荣圈”、帮助亚洲摆脱西方殖民统治的谎言，带动其他国家抗击日本侵略。不仅如此，中国还在极端困难的情况下支援周边国家抗日。太平洋战争爆发后，应英国的请求，中国在1942年派遣远征军赴缅甸支援英军对日作战，消灭了大量日军，保卫了印度的安全。中国还对越南、泰国抵抗日本侵略的战争予以支持。中国抗战沉重打击了日本法西斯，推动了殖民体系的土崩瓦解。中国抗战的胜利成为战后世界各地风起云涌的民族独立运动的先导，促进了亚非拉广大地区民族解放运动的发展，极大地改变了战后国际秩序。

Positive evaluations of China's War of Resistance by wartime leaders.

战时领袖对中国抗战的积极评价

The great contribution of China's War of Resistance to the World Anti-Fascist War was also highly praised by wartime leaders. Mao Zedong pointed out, "China is one of the five largest countries participating in the anti-fascist war in the world, and is the main country opposing the Japanese aggressors on the Asian continent"; China "made great efforts for its own liberation and to help the Allied nations." Stalin praised that "only when the hands and feet of the Japanese aggressors were tied could we avoid a two-front war when the German aggressors once attacked our country"; China's War of Resistance "greatly facilitated the cause of defeating the Japanese aggressive forces." U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt highly affirmed the role of the China theater, stating that the American people "cannot forget" China's important contributions in the World Anti-Fascist War: the Chinese people in this war "were the first to stand up and fight the aggressors"; their "tenacious and resolute" long-term resistance "withstood the savage onslaught of the Japanese"; "pinned down large numbers of enemy troops over a vast area on the Asian continent"; "if there was no China, or if China had been beaten," a great many "Japanese divisions could therefore be transferred to other fronts to fight? They could immediately take Australia, take India... they could charge straight to the Middle East... Japan could coordinate with Germany, launch a large-scale pincer attack, meet in the Near East, completely isolate Russia, cut off Egypt, and sever all communication lines through the Mediterranean." Winston Churchill also acknowledged that China's long-term War of Resistance made it difficult for Japan to transfer large numbers of troops to "invade India on a large scale," thereby protecting the security of India and the British Empire.

中国抗战对世界反法西斯战争的巨大贡献也得到了战时领袖的高度肯定。毛泽东指出：“中国是全世界参加反法西斯战争的五个最大国家之一，是在亚洲大陆上反对日本侵略者的主要国家”，中国“为了自己的解放，为了帮助各同盟国，曾经作了伟大的努力”。斯大林赞扬说，“只有当日本侵略者的手脚被捆住的时候，我们才能在德国侵略者一旦进攻我国的时候避免两线作战”，中国抗战“大大地便利了击溃日本侵略力量的事业”。美国总统罗斯福高度肯定中国战场的作用，指出美国人民“忘不了”中国在世界反法西斯战争中的重要贡献：中国人民在这次战争中“首先站起来同侵略者战斗”，其“顽强坚决”的长期抗击“顶住了日本人的野蛮进攻”，“在亚洲大陆广大地区牵制住大量的敌军”，“假如没有中国，假如中国被打坍了”，大量“师团的日本兵可以因此调到其他方面来作战？他们可以马上打下澳洲，打下印度……可以一直冲向中东……日本可以和德国配合起来，举行一个大规模的夹攻，在近东会师，把俄国完全隔离起来，割吞埃及，斩断通过地中海的一切交通线”。丘吉尔也承认：中国的长期抗战使日本难以抽调大量兵力，“大举进犯印度”，从而保护了印度和英帝国的安全。

China initiated the World Anti-Fascist War, opened and sustained the Eastern Main Battlefield against fascism, and was always the decisive force in fighting and ultimately defeating the Japanese military. China's War of Resistance also effectively cooperated with the Allies' "Europe-first" strategy, making historically significant contributions to the final victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

中国率先开展了世界反法西斯战争，开辟并支撑了抗击法西斯的东方主战场，始终是抗击和最终战胜日军的决定性力量。中国抗战还有力配合了盟国的“先欧后亚”战略，为世界反法西斯战争最终胜利作出了彪炳史册的重要贡献。

(The author is a research fellow at the Institute of Modern History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)

（作者系中国社会科学院近代史研究所研究员）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心