The Victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan Was a Great Victory for the National Spirit Centered on Patriotism

Eighty years ago, after 14 years of unyielding and bloody struggle, the Chinese people defeated the vicious Japanese militarist aggressors and achieved the great victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japan. This was the longest, largest, and most costly national liberation struggle waged by the Chinese people against foreign invasion in modern times, and it was also the first national liberation struggle to achieve complete victory. At the most critical moment of national survival, the patriotism deeply rooted in the bloodline of the Chinese nation erupted with a majestic and overwhelming force. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japan was a great victory for the national spirit centered on patriotism.” The history of the War of Resistance profoundly demonstrates that the national spirit centered on patriotism is the powerful spiritual pillar for the Chinese people to defend national independence and national dignity and to overcome all difficulties and obstacles; it is the powerful engine driving the great ship of the Chinese nation to ride the wind and waves and forge ahead courageously in the torrent of history.

80年前，中国人民经过14年不屈不挠的浴血奋战，打败了穷凶极恶的日本军国主义侵略者，取得了中国人民抗日战争的伟大胜利。这是近代以来中国人民反抗外敌入侵持续时间最长、规模最大、牺牲最多的民族解放斗争，也是第一次取得完全胜利的民族解放斗争。在民族存亡的最危急关头，深植于中华民族血脉的爱国主义迸发出排山倒海的磅礴伟力。习近平总书记指出：“中国人民抗日战争胜利是以爱国主义为核心的民族精神的伟大胜利。”抗日战争的历史深刻昭示，以爱国主义为核心的民族精神是中国人民捍卫民族独立和民族尊严、战胜一切艰难险阻的强大精神支柱，是驱动中华民族这艘巨轮在历史洪流中乘风破浪、奋勇前行的强劲引擎。

I. The War of Resistance Against Japan Inspired and Elevated the National Spirit Centered on Patriotism

一、抗日战争激发升华了以爱国主义为核心的民族精神

The Chinese nation has never lacked spirit. The great national spirit cultivated, inherited, and developed by the Chinese people in their long struggles has provided powerful spiritual impetus for China’s development and the progress of human civilization. Patriotism is the core of the national spirit, the heart and soul of the Chinese nation. It maintains the unity and solidarity of all ethnic groups on the land of China and inspires generations of Chinese sons and daughters to strive unremittingly for the development and prosperity of the motherland. It is this spirit that forged the national character of the Chinese nation—ceaseless self-improvement and great virtue carrying all things—and coalesced the will of Chinese sons and daughters to serve the country, worrying about the nation’s fate and feeling responsible for its rise and fall. This has made Chinese civilization the only great civilization in the world that has continued uninterrupted and developed in the form of a state to this day. After the Opium War of 1840, the country suffered humiliation, the people endured hardship, and civilization was covered in dust; the Chinese people and the Chinese nation experienced unprecedented calamities. In their struggles against imperialism and feudalism, the Chinese people deepened their understanding of the nation and the state. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, figures such as Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen put forward the concept of the “Chinese nation” (中华民族). “National subjugation” became the greatest stimulus and insult to the Chinese people of that era, which, from the negative side, inspired the patriotic spirit of resisting Western powers, safeguarding national sovereignty, and saving the nation from peril. The series of struggles waged by the Chinese people for national independence and liberation constituted the historical process of the awakening of the Chinese nation and the historical process of the elevation of the national spirit centered on patriotism.

中华民族向来不缺精神，中国人民在长期奋斗中培育、继承、发展起来的伟大民族精神，为中国发展和人类文明进步提供了强大精神动力。爱国主义是民族精神的核心，是中华民族的民族心、民族魂，维系着华夏大地上各个民族的团结统一，激励着一代又一代中华儿女为祖国发展繁荣而不懈奋斗。正是这种精神，铸就了中华民族自强不息、厚德载物的民族品格，凝聚起中华儿女忧国忧民、兴亡有责的报国意志，使得中华文明成为世界上唯一绵延不断且以国家形态发展至今的伟大文明。1840年鸦片战争以后，国家蒙辱、人民蒙难、文明蒙尘，中国人民和中华民族遭受了前所未有的劫难。中国人民在同帝国主义、封建主义的斗争中加深了对国家、民族的理解。19世纪末20世纪初，梁启超、孙中山等提出了“中华民族”的概念，“亡国”成为对这一时期中国人的最大刺激、侮辱，从反面激发了人民反抗西方列强、维护国家主权、挽救民族危亡的爱国主义精神。中国人民为争取民族独立和解放进行的一系列抗争，就是中华民族觉醒的历史进程，就是以爱国主义为核心的民族精神升华的历史进程。

This awakening of national consciousness and elevation of the national spirit reached a new height during the War of Resistance Against Japan. After the September 18th Incident [1]1 The September 18th Incident (九一八事变) refers to the Japanese Kwantung Army’s staged bombing of a railway near Mukden (now Shenyang) on September 18, 1931, which it used as a pretext to invade and occupy Northeast China., the contradiction between China and Japan gradually rose to become the principal contradiction determining China’s fate. The Chinese nation was at its most dangerous moment, and the patriotic feelings imprinted deep in the souls of the Chinese people were aroused as never before. Saving the nation from peril became the common will of all Chinese sons and daughters. Comrade Mao Zedong once said: “The degree of awakening and unity among the Chinese people promoted by this war is unmatched by any of the great struggles of the Chinese people in the past hundred years.” From the banks of the Yellow River to the misty rain of Jiangnan, from the White Mountains and Black Waters [2]2 White Mountains and Black Waters (白山黑水) is a traditional Chinese poetic reference to the Changbai Mountains and the Heilong River (Amur River), often used to refer to Northeast China. to the shores of the South China Sea, the roar of resistance against Japan and national salvation shook the land of China. Compatriots of all ethnic groups united as one—some displaying unyielding heroism and shedding blood on the battlefield, others sacrificing family wealth to support the troops and serve the front—converging into a mighty torrent of the entire nation’s war of resistance. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “All Chinese sons and daughters fought for the survival of the country, for the rejuvenation of the nation, and for human justice. The breadth of social mobilization, the depth of national awakening, the tenacity of the will to fight, and the firmness of the belief in victory all reached unprecedented heights.” In this magnificent process, the patriotic spirit of the Chinese nation manifested itself more intensely, more broadly, more enduringly, and more combatively than in any previous era. The Chinese people, united in heart and mind to resist foreign aggression, demonstrated to the world a patriotic sentiment of “everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the nation” [3]3 “Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the nation” (天下兴亡，匹夫有责) is a classical Chinese saying attributed to the scholar Gu Yanwu (1613–1682), expressing the idea that every individual bears responsibility for the fate of their country., a national integrity of facing death unflinchingly and preferring death to surrender, a heroic mettle of defying brute force and fighting to the bitter end, and an unyielding and indomitable belief in victory, forging the great spirit of the War of Resistance.

这种民族意识的觉醒和民族精神的升华，在抗日战争时期达到了全新的高度。九一八事变后，中日民族矛盾逐渐上升为决定中国命运的主要矛盾，中华民族到了最危险的时候，印刻在中国人民灵魂深处的爱国情感被空前激发出来，挽救民族危亡成为所有中华儿女的共同意志。毛泽东同志曾说：“这个战争促进中国人民的觉悟和团结的程度，是近百年来中国人民的一切伟大的斗争没有一次比得上的。”从黄河两岸到烟雨江南，从白山黑水到南海之滨，抗日救亡的怒吼震彻华夏大地。各民族同胞团结一心，或威武不屈血洒疆场，或毁家纾难拥军支前，汇聚成全民族抗战的滚滚洪流。习近平总书记指出，“全体中华儿女为国家生存而战、为民族复兴而战、为人类正义而战，社会动员之广泛，民族觉醒之深刻，战斗意志之顽强，必胜信念之坚定，都达到了空前的高度”。在这一壮阔进程中，中华民族的爱国主义精神比以前任何时代都表现得更强烈、更广泛、更持久、更具战斗性，中国人民众志成城、共御外侮，向世界展示了天下兴亡、匹夫有责的爱国情怀，视死如归、宁死不屈的民族气节，不畏强暴、血战到底的英雄气概，百折不挠、坚忍不拔的必胜信念，铸就了伟大抗战精神。

The victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan was not only the recovery of rivers and mountains but also the recovery of people’s hearts and the reshaping of the spirit. The history of the War of Resistance is not only a history of war but also a history of spirit and a history of the soul. The great spirit of the War of Resistance is the most precious spiritual wealth left to us by the War of Resistance. It is the concrete embodiment of the national spirit centered on patriotism in this war. It is a spiritual monument erected at the historical turning point where the Chinese nation moved from the deep crisis of modern times toward great rejuvenation, guiding the Chinese nation to temper its blood and courage, defend its dignity, and write its glory.

抗日战争的胜利，不仅是河山光复，更是人心光复、精神重塑；抗日战争的历史，不仅是战争史，更是精神史、心灵史。伟大抗战精神是抗日战争留给我们最宝贵的精神财富，是以爱国主义为核心的民族精神在这场战争中的具体体现，是矗立在中华民族从近代以来陷入深重危机走向伟大复兴历史转折点上的一座精神丰碑，指引着中华民族淬砺血性、捍卫尊严、书写荣光。

II. The Chinese Communist Party Consolidated the Patriotic Enthusiasm of the Entire Nation into a Historical Force for Maintaining National Independence and National Dignity

二、中国共产党将全民族爱国热情凝聚成维护民族独立和民族尊严的历史伟力

The War of Resistance Against Japan was not only a contest of military and economic strength but also a contest of will and spirit. The great national spirit centered on patriotism was the decisive factor in the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japan. As the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, the Chinese Communist Party is not only a firm believer in Marxism but also the most steadfast, loyal, courageous, and thorough patriot. In the life-and-death struggle against Japanese militarism, the Chinese Communist Party held high the banner of patriotism, using scientific theory, correct lines, firm will, and resolute action to mobilize, unite, organize, and arm all patriotic compatriots, transforming the spiritual power of patriotism into a historical torrent leading the national resistance, and playing the role of the mainstay in the entire nation’s war of resistance.

抗日战争，既是一场军事实力和经济实力的较量，更是一场意志和精神的较量。以爱国主义为核心的伟大民族精神是中国人民抗日战争胜利的决定因素。中国共产党作为中国工人阶级的先锋队、中国人民和中华民族的先锋队，不仅是马克思主义的坚定信仰者，也是最坚定、最忠诚、最勇敢、最彻底的爱国主义者。在与日本军国主义的殊死较量中，中国共产党高举爱国主义旗帜，用科学的理论、正确的路线、坚定的意志、有力的行动，将全体爱国同胞动员起来、团结起来、组织起来、武装起来，将爱国主义的精神力量转化为引领民族抗争的时代洪流，在全民族抗战中发挥了中流砥柱作用。

Adhering to the original aspiration and founding mission, it endowed patriotism with new connotations and pointed out the direction forward for striving for national independence and the liberation of the people. Modern history has repeatedly proven that without the leadership of an advanced political party, simple patriotic sentiments can become lost in narrow nationalism or blind xenophobia, making it difficult to truly form a force that advances history. From the day of its founding, our Party resolutely took on the historical responsibility of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. This original aspiration and founding mission determined that our Party could break free from the historical limitations of all previous political parties bound by class interests, and deeply recognize that in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal China, the primary task of patriotism was to achieve national independence and liberation. As Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized, “Only by fighting to defend the motherland can we defeat the aggressors and achieve national liberation. Only when the nation is liberated can it be possible for the proletariat and the working people to be liberated.” In 1931, when Japanese imperialism launched an armed invasion of China in the September 18th Incident, and the Nationalist government pursued a policy of “non-resistance,” it was the Chinese Communist Party that first issued the strongest patriotic call of the era for armed resistance against Japan. On September 20, 1931, just three days after the September 18th Incident, the Central Committee of the CPC issued the “Declaration of the Chinese Communist Party on the Violent Occupation of the Three Eastern Provinces by Japanese Imperialism,” loudly proclaiming “Oppose Japanese imperialism’s violent occupation of the Three Eastern Provinces.” Subsequently, the Central Committee of the CPC issued several declarations, profoundly exposing the nature of Japanese imperialist aggression against China, calling on the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and the broad masses of the people to wage armed struggle and drive Japanese imperialism out of China. In April 1932, in the name of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic, it formally declared war on Japan. In the cognitive fog of “fear of Japan” and “pro-Japan” sentiment prevalent in Chinese society at the time, this was undoubtedly a lightning bolt piercing the darkness. It integrated the immediate goal of national salvation from extinction with the long-term ideal of national rejuvenation. What it manifested was not only political foresight but also the most thorough and sober patriotic responsibility for the fate of the nation, injecting a soul into the patriotic enthusiasm of the entire nation and pointing out the direction.

坚守初心使命，赋予爱国主义新的内涵，指明了争取民族独立与人民解放的前进方向。近代以来的历史一再证明，如果没有先进政党引领，朴素的爱国情感有可能迷失于狭隘的民族主义或盲目的排外主义，难以真正形成推动历史进步的力量。我们党自成立之日起，毅然担负起为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴的历史重任。这种初心使命决定了我们党能够摆脱以往一切政党受阶级利益束缚的历史局限，深刻认识到在半殖民地半封建社会的中国，爱国主义的首要任务是实现民族独立和解放。正如毛泽东同志强调的，“只有为着保卫祖国而战才能打败侵略者，使民族得到解放。只有民族得到解放，才有使无产阶级和劳动人民得到解放的可能”。1931年，日本帝国主义发动武装侵略中国的九一八事变，国民党政府奉行“不抵抗”政策，是中国共产党率先发出了武装抗日的爱国主义时代最强音。1931年9月20日，即九一八事变后第3天，中共中央发表《中国共产党为日本帝国主义强暴占领东三省事件宣言》，响亮提出“反对日本帝国主义强占东三省”。紧接着，中共中央多次发表宣言，深刻揭露日本帝国主义的侵华本质，号召工农红军和广大民众进行武装斗争，把日本帝国主义驱逐出中国，并于1932年4月以中华苏维埃共和国临时中央政府名义正式对日宣战。这在当时中国社会“恐日”、“亲日”的认知迷雾中，无疑是刺破暗夜的闪电。它将救亡图存的直接目标与民族复兴的长远理想融为一体，所彰显的，不仅是政治上的远见卓识，更是一种对国家民族命运最彻底、最清醒的爱国担当，为全民族的爱国热情注入了灵魂、指明了方向。

Upholding the greater national interest, a broad consensus of patriotism was consolidated, and the Anti-Japanese National United Front of unity and joint resistance against foreign aggression was constructed. At a moment when a powerful enemy had invaded and the nation’s survival hung by a thread, whether the maximum unity of all forces that could be united could be achieved was the touchstone for measuring a political party’s patriotic stance and political breadth. At the juncture when the national crisis was unprecedentedly severe and the Sino-Japanese national contradiction had become the principal contradiction, the Communist Party of China, upholding the greater national interest and with the broad-mindedness of “brothers quarreling at home but joining forces against an outside insult” [4]4 “Brothers quarreling at home but joining forces against an outside insult” (兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮): A classical Chinese allusion from the *Book of Songs* (《诗经》), meaning that family members may quarrel internally but unite against an external threat., took the lead in advocating for and actively promoting the establishment of the Anti-Japanese National United Front. From the “August First Declaration” [5]5 “August First Declaration” (八一宣言): The “Letter to All Compatriots on Resisting Japan and Saving the Nation” issued by the Communist Party of China on August 1, 1935, calling for a cessation of the civil war and united resistance against Japan. calling for a cessation of the civil war and united resistance against Japan, to the Wayaobu Conference [6]6 Wayaobu Conference (瓦窑堡会议): A key meeting of the CPC Central Committee held in Wayaobu, northern Shaanxi, in December 1935, which formally adopted the policy of establishing an Anti-Japanese National United Front. clearly stating that the Party’s basic strategic task was to establish a broad Anti-Japanese National United Front, and then to the peaceful resolution of the Xi’an Incident [7]7 Xi’an Incident (西安事变): The arrest of KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek in Xi’an in December 1936 by Generals Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, who sought to force him to end the civil war and unite with the CPC against Japan. The CPC mediated a peaceful resolution, leading to the second KMT-CPC united front., the Communist Party of China, proceeding from the overall situation of national unity in resisting Japan, cast aside historical grievances, and ultimately promoted the realization of the second KMT-CPC cooperation, laying a solid foundation for the overall situation of the entire nation’s War of Resistance. After the War of Resistance entered the stage of strategic stalemate, facing the KMT’s compromise and wavering, the Communist Party of China clearly put forward the political propositions of “persisting in resistance, opposing capitulation; persisting in unity, opposing splits; persisting in progress, opposing retrogression,” adhered to the struggle principle of “with reason, with advantage, and with restraint” [8]8 “With reason, with advantage, and with restraint” (有理、有利、有节): A principle of struggle in the united front, meaning to act only when justified, to fight only when victory is assured, and to exercise restraint to avoid overreaching., and strove to unite all forces demanding resistance against Japan, thereby consolidating and developing the Anti-Japanese National United Front. It was precisely this patriotic sentiment that prioritized the greater national interest and the great cause of the War of Resistance that enabled the breaking of boundaries between political parties, classes, regions, and nationalities, closely uniting all patriotic forces under the banner of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, ultimately forming the situation of the entire nation’s War of Resistance where “four hundred million people all rise with vigor, united in heart and mind, one army in battle array” [9]9 “Four hundred million people all rise with vigor, united in heart and mind, one army in battle array” (四万万人齐蹈厉，同心同德一戎衣): A poetic line from the wartime period, evoking the entire nation’s unified and determined resistance against Japan.. The establishment of the Anti-Japanese National United Front was a great pioneering work by the Communist Party of China in transforming patriotism from a spiritual concept into a powerful political mobilization force, elevating the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the Chinese nation to an unprecedented height.

秉持民族大义，凝聚起爱国主义的广泛共识，构筑了团结一致共御外侮的抗日民族统一战线。在强敌入侵、民族存亡系于一线之际，能否最大限度地团结一切可以团结的力量，是衡量一个政党爱国主义立场和政治胸怀的试金石。在民族危机空前严重、中日民族矛盾成为主要矛盾的关头，中国共产党秉持民族大义，以“兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮”的博大胸襟，率先倡导并积极推动建立抗日民族统一战线。从“八一宣言”号召停止内战、一致抗日，到瓦窑堡会议明确提出党的基本策略任务是建立广泛的抗日民族统一战线，再到和平解决西安事变，中国共产党从全民族团结抗日的大局出发，抛弃历史恩怨，最终推动实现第二次国共合作，为全民族抗战大局奠定坚实基础。抗日战争进入战略相持阶段以后，面对国民党的妥协动摇，中国共产党鲜明提出“坚持抗战、反对投降，坚持团结、反对分裂，坚持进步、反对倒退”的政治主张，坚持“有理、有利、有节”的斗争原则，努力团结一切要求抗日的力量，使抗日民族统一战线得到巩固和发展。正是这种以民族大义为重、以抗战大业为先的爱国情怀，才使党派、阶级、地域、民族的界限得以突破，将一切爱国的力量都紧密团结在抗日民族统一战线的旗帜之下，最终形成“四万万人齐蹈厉，同心同德一戎衣”的全民族抗战局面。抗日民族统一战线的建立，是中国共产党将爱国主义从一种精神理念转化为强大政治动员力的伟大创举，它将中华民族的凝聚力、战斗力提升到了前所未有的高度。

Relying on and mobilizing the people unleashed the profound power of patriotism latent among the populace, finding the source of strength for winning the War of Resistance. The deepest roots of the great power of war lie among the people. How to transform the patriotic fervor latent among the people into effective combat power for overcoming the enemy determined the success or failure of the war. An important reason for the failure of all previous struggles against foreign invasion in modern Chinese history was the internal weakness, laxity, and disunity of the nation, like a sheet of loose sand. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out, “The main reason why Japan dares to bully us is the disorganized state of the Chinese masses. Overcome this shortcoming, and we will place the Japanese aggressors before our hundreds of millions of people who have stood up,” and “this will create a vast ocean in which the enemy will be engulfed and destroyed.” As the kindlers and practitioners of patriotism, the Communist Party of China insisted that “soldiers and civilians are the foundation of victory,” put forward the line of total resistance, the strategic thought of protracted war, and the strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare, and supported the hope of the entire nation for national salvation with its own political propositions, firm will, and exemplary actions, enabling every Chinese who refused to be a slave without a country to find ways to join the War of Resistance and contribute their strength, building an impregnable fortress for saving the nation from peril. The Chinese people recognized the Communist Party of China as the real hope and reliable force for national salvation, firmly followed the Party, swore to die rather than be slaves without a country, and united the powerful national force of “the awakened lion roars, who dares to swallow and devour it.” In the history of the Chinese nation’s resistance against foreign aggression, never before had there been such unprecedented national unity, such extensive mass mobilization and participation, as in the War of Resistance Against Japan, making it a true people’s war. This was the fundamental reason for the final victory of the War of Resistance.

依靠和动员人民，激发出蕴藏在民众中的爱国主义深厚伟力，找到了赢得抗战胜利的力量之源。战争的伟力之最深厚的根源，存在于民众之中。如何将民众中所蕴藏的爱国热情转化为克敌制胜的有效战力，决定着战争成败。中国近代以后历次反抗外敌入侵斗争失败的一个重要原因就是民族内部软弱涣散、一盘散沙。毛泽东同志指出，“日本敢于欺负我们，主要的原因在于中国民众的无组织状态。克服了这一缺点，就把日本侵略者置于我们数万万站起来了的人民之前”，“就造成了陷敌于灭顶之灾的汪洋大海”。作为爱国主义的播火者实践者，中国共产党坚持“兵民是胜利之本”，提出全面抗战路线和持久战的战略思想、游击战的战略战术，以自己的政治主张、坚定意志、模范行动，支撑起全民族救亡图存的希望，让每一个不愿做亡国奴的中国人，都能找到投身抗战、贡献力量的途径，筑就了挽救民族危亡的铜墙铁壁。中国人民认定中国共产党是救亡图存的真实希望和可靠力量，坚定跟着共产党走，誓死不当亡国奴，团结起“醒狮怒吼，谁敢鲸吞蚕食”的强大民族力量。在中华民族反抗外来侵略的历史上，从来没有像抗日战争这样，民族团结如此空前，民众动员和民众参与程度如此广泛，成为一场真正的人民战争。这是抗日战争取得最后胜利的根本原因。

Fighting a life-and-death struggle against the Japanese army, they composed a magnificent epic of patriotism and were worthy of being the backbone force for winning the War of Resistance. Patriotism embodies the lofty character of being willing to sacrifice everything for the country and the nation. “Famous generals sacrifice themselves for the country, willing to shed their blood to defend China.” This was a poem written by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De in mourning for the deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army, Zuo Quan, who died a martyr’s death. Facing the well-equipped Japanese fascist aggressors, the Chinese Communists, under the arduous conditions of backward and scarce weaponry, were not intimidated by the ferocious and vicious enemy. Instead, they held firm to the determination to fight to the end, bravely fought on the front line, “swore to live and die with the mountains and rivers,” built a Great Wall of steel with their flesh and blood to save the nation from peril, and upheld the bloodline and dignity of the Chinese nation. Communist Party members such as Yang Jingyu, Zhao Shangzhi, Zuo Quan, Peng Xuefeng, and Zhao Yiman, and numerous heroic groups such as the Eighth Route Army’s “Five Heroes of Langya Mountain,” the New Fourth Army’s “Liu Laozhuang Company,” and the eight female soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, were outstanding representatives of the thousands upon thousands of anti-Japanese soldiers and Communist Party members who sacrificed their lives for the country. They composed a heroic ode to patriotism with their lives. In 1945, Comrade Mao Zedong clearly pointed out, “This army has an indomitable spirit; it must overwhelm all enemies and never be overwhelmed by them. No matter how difficult and arduous the circumstances, as long as there is one person left, that person will continue to fight.” According to statistics, after entering the stage of strategic stalemate, the anti-Japanese armed forces on the enemy’s rear battlefield, such as the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army, and the South China People’s Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Forces, pinned down and fought against 58% to 75% of the Japanese invading forces in China and almost all the puppet troops. The Communist Party of China ignited the Chinese nation’s spiritual tradition of resisting violence, opposing aggression, and fighting to defend the country with blood, becoming the vanguard in practicing patriotism within the entire nation’s torrent of resistance against Japan.

同日军殊死斗争，谱写了爱国主义的雄壮史诗，无愧为赢得抗战胜利的中坚力量。爱国主义蕴含着为国家和民族甘愿牺牲一切的崇高品格。“名将以身殉国家，愿拼热血卫吾华。”这是朱德总司令为悼念壮烈殉国的八路军副参谋长左权而写的诗。面对装备精良的日本法西斯侵略者，中国共产党人在武器装备落后匮乏的艰苦条件下，没有被穷凶极恶的敌人所吓倒，而是抱定抗战到底的决心，勇敢战斗在最前线，“誓与山河共存亡”，以血肉之躯筑起拯救民族危亡的钢铁长城，挺起了中华民族的血性和尊严。杨靖宇、赵尚志、左权、彭雪枫、赵一曼等共产党员，八路军“狼牙山五壮士”、新四军“刘老庄连”、东北抗联八位女战士等众多英雄群体，就是千千万万以身殉国抗日将士的共产党人杰出代表，他们用生命奏响了爱国主义的英雄赞歌。1945年，毛泽东同志鲜明指出，“这个军队具有一往无前的精神，它要压倒一切敌人，而决不被敌人所屈服。不论在任何艰难困苦的场合，只要还有一个人，这个人就要继续战斗下去”。据统计，进入战略相持阶段后，敌后战场上的八路军、新四军和华南人民抗日游击队等抗日武装力量，牵制和抗击了58%—75%的侵华日军和几乎全部伪军。中国共产党激发了中华民族抗暴御侮、血战保国的精神传统，成为全民族抗日洪流中践行爱国主义的先锋队。

III. Vigorously Promote the National Spirit Centered on Patriotism

三、大力弘扬以爱国主义为核心的民族精神

Although the flames and smoke of the War of Resistance Against Japan have long receded, the national spirit centered on patriotism has been deeply forged into the blood of the Chinese people. This spiritual power transcends time, remains ever fresh, and is always the inexhaustible driving force inspiring the Chinese nation’s unremitting self-improvement and the spiritual bond uniting it as one.

抗日战争烽火硝烟虽已远去，但以爱国主义为核心的民族精神深深熔铸进中国人民血脉，这种精神伟力穿越时空、历久弥新，始终是激励中华民族自强不息的不竭动力、团结一心的精神纽带。

History is the best teacher, and the arduous history of the War of Resistance is the best textbook on patriotism. Taking the opportunity of commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, we should extensively carry out propaganda and reporting full of righteous spirit, remember history, honor the martyrs, promote the great spirit, and inspire united struggle. Deeply publicize how the Communist Party of China, at the critical juncture of national peril, guided the direction of China’s War of Resistance with outstanding political leadership and correct strategic policies, mobilized and relied on the people to achieve the great victory of the War of Resistance through indomitable bloody battles, fully demonstrating the CPC’s role as the mainstay and the Chinese people’s indestructible mighty power. Deeply publicize the great spirit of the War of Resistance nurtured by the Chinese people in the magnificent process of the War of Resistance, highlighting the patriotic sentiments, national integrity, heroic spirit, and belief in victory contained within it, guiding people to always cherish and inherit this precious spiritual wealth. Deeply publicize how the Chinese people, with tremendous national sacrifice, supported the Eastern Main Battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War, made significant contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and re-established China’s status as a major power in the world. Through extensive and in-depth propaganda, we should stimulate patriotic fervor, invigorate the national spirit, and consolidate the mighty force of all people striving together with one heart and advancing courageously, uniting in struggle to comprehensively advance the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.

历史是最好的老师，艰苦卓绝的抗战史就是一部最好的爱国主义教材。要以纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年为契机，广泛开展正气充盈的宣传报道，铭记历史、缅怀先烈，弘扬伟大精神、激励团结奋斗。深入宣传中国共产党在民族危亡的历史关头，以卓越的政治领导力和正确的战略策略指引中国抗战的前进方向，动员和依靠人民经过不屈不挠的浴血奋战取得抗日战争的伟大胜利，充分展现中国共产党的中流砥柱作用和中国人民坚不可摧的磅礴力量。深入宣传中国人民在抗日战争的壮阔进程中孕育出的伟大抗战精神，彰显蕴含其中的爱国情怀、民族气节、英雄气概、必胜信念，引导人们始终珍视和传承这一弥足珍贵的精神财富。深入宣传中国人民以巨大民族牺牲支撑起了世界反法西斯战争的东方主战场，为世界反法西斯战争胜利作出了重大贡献，重新确立了中国在世界上的大国地位。要通过广泛深入的宣传，激发爱国热情、振奋民族精神，凝聚起全体人民勠力同心、奋勇向前的磅礴力量，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业而团结奋斗。

To promote the spirit of patriotism, patriotic education must be made an eternal theme. On the morning of July 7, 2025, the ceremony commemorating the 88th anniversary of the outbreak of the All-Nation War of Resistance and the opening ceremony of the themed exhibition “For National Liberation and World Peace” were held at the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Memorial Hall. The photo shows Young Pioneers visiting the themed exhibition on that day. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Yehua.

弘扬爱国主义精神，必须把爱国主义教育作为永恒主题。2025年7月7日上午，纪念全民族抗战爆发88周年仪式暨《为了民族解放与世界和平》主题展览开幕式在中国人民抗日战争纪念馆举行。图为当日少先队员参观主题展览。 新华社记者 陈晔华/摄

Reviewing the history of the War of Resistance is also a vivid and profound ideological and political education. It is necessary to focus on the whole society’s joint participation and joint promotion, combining the propaganda and education of the history and spirit of the War of Resistance with the propaganda and education of Party history, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, and the history of socialist development, guiding people to uphold the unity of loving the country, loving the Party, and loving socialism. The adolescent period is a critical time for the formation of worldviews, outlooks on life, values, and views on the motherland and the nation. Adolescents should be made the focus of patriotic education, with attention to integrating it into school education and classroom teaching, into daily ideological and political education, planting the seed of loving China deep in the hearts of every child, and inspiring adolescents’ patriotic hearts and aspirations to serve the country. Media at all levels and of all types should actively carry out in-depth and warm propaganda reports on the theme of the War of Resistance. Memorial halls, exhibition halls, museums, martyrs’ memorial facilities, and other important War of Resistance commemorative sites should, according to local conditions, carry out lively and engaging propaganda and education activities. The publishing and literary and art fronts should create and produce a batch of excellent works on the theme of the War of Resistance, telling the story of the War of Resistance well, telling the stories of the heroes of the War of Resistance well, forming a strong atmosphere of remembering the history of the War of Resistance and carrying forward the great spirit of the War of Resistance. Now, the internet has become the main channel for information dissemination. It is necessary to brighten the patriotic底色 of cyberspace, produce and promote a batch of short videos, documentaries, micro-films, etc., on the theme of the War of Resistance suitable for online dissemination, promote the online dissemination of War of Resistance-themed literature, films, television, songs, publications, etc., guide netizens to form a correct understanding of the history of the War of Resistance, and cultivate patriotic sentiments.

重温抗战历史也是一场生动、深刻的思想政治教育。要注重全社会共同参与、共同推进，把抗战历史和抗战精神宣传教育同党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史宣传教育结合起来，引导人们坚持爱国和爱党、爱社会主义相统一。青少年时期是世界观、人生观、价值观和祖国观、民族观形成的关键期，要把青少年作为爱国主义教育的重点，注重融入学校教育和课堂教学，融入日常思想政治教育，把爱我中华的种子埋入每个孩子的心灵深处，激发青少年的爱国之心、报国之志。各级各类媒体要积极开展有深度、有温度的抗战主题宣传报道，纪念馆、展览馆、博物馆、烈士纪念设施等重要抗战纪念场所要因地制宜开展有生气、聚人气的宣传教育活动，出版、文艺战线要创作生产一批抗战题材优秀作品，讲好抗日战争的故事，讲好抗战英雄的故事，形成铭记抗日战争历史、弘扬伟大抗战精神的浓厚氛围。现在，互联网已经成为信息传播的主渠道，要擦亮网络空间的爱国底色，制作推介一批适合网络传播的抗战题材短视频、纪录片、微电影等，推动抗战题材文学、影视、歌曲、出版物等上网传播，引导广大网民形成对抗战历史的正确认知，厚植爱国情怀。

Strengthening research on the history and spirit of the War of Resistance is an unshirkable responsibility of the philosophical and social sciences front. It is necessary to adhere to historical materialism and a correct view of World War II history, focus on key content to carry out research, deeply study and explain the great significance of the Chinese people’s War of Resistance Against Japan, the important position of the Chinese people’s War of Resistance in the World Anti-Fascist War, the CPC’s role as the mainstay, and other major issues, and strive to construct a discourse system and narrative system for World War II research that highlights China’s contribution to world history and has international influence. It

加强抗战历史、抗战精神研究，哲学社会科学战线责无旁贷。要坚持唯物史观和正确二战史观，聚焦重点内容开展研究，深入研究阐释中国人民抗日战争的伟大意义、中国人民抗日战争在世界反法西斯战争中的重要地位、中国共产党的中流砥柱作用等重大问题，着力构建彰显我国对世界历史贡献、具有国际影响的二战研究话语体系和叙事体系。要加强资料收集和整理等基础性工作，全面整理我国各地抗战档案、照片、资料、实物，做好战争亲历者头脑中“活资料”的收集工作，加强对海外档案等新史料的搜集、整理和考证，把历史结论建立在翔实准确的史料支撑和深入细致的研究分析的基础之上。要用好抗战研究成果，在战后国际法理秩序、国家主权与领土完整等重大现实问题上发出中国学术正声，以事实批驳歪曲历史、否认和美化侵略战争等错误言论，通过中外学术交流推动国际社会正确认识中国人民抗日战争在世界反法西斯战争中的地位和作用。

Looking back at the past from the present, we stride forward with heads held high on the new journey of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. Although this is no longer a life-and-death struggle of blood and fire, it is nonetheless a tenacious struggle against hardship and danger. By drawing strength from the national spirit centered on patriotism and letting the glorious banner of patriotism fly high, the Chinese nation will surely be able to advance steadily and steadily, creating an even brighter tomorrow.

抚今追昔，我们昂首走在强国建设、民族复兴新征程上，这虽不再是血与火的生死之搏，但却是艰与险的顽强斗争。从以爱国主义为核心的民族精神中汲取力量，让爱国主义的光辉旗帜高高飘扬，中华民族一定能够行稳致远，创造更加美好的明天。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心