On September 3, China held a grand military parade in Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The occasion was marked with immense national pride, international attention, and symbolic weight. More than a ceremonial display of military strength, the parade was framed as an oath of peace and a commitment to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The slogan of the commemoration, “Bearing history in mind, honoring martyrs, cherishing peace, and striving for a better future,” reflects the multi-layered significance of the event. It was a moment for China to recall its role in the bloodiest conflict in human history, to honor the millions of lives lost, to reaffirm its adherence to peace, and to present its modern national power as a guarantor of stability and development.

One of the central messages of the commemorations was the assertion of China’s irreplaceable role in the Second World War. For decades, China’s wartime sacrifices were often underemphasized in Western narratives of the conflict, with the European theater frequently dominating the discourse. The September 3 event sought to correct this imbalance.

China’s resistance against Japanese aggression began earlier than the involvement of many other Allied powers and lasted for 14 long years. The cost was staggering: more than 35 million Chinese casualties, countless cities devastated, and immense human suffering. Yet this sacrifice also crippled Japan’s military capacity. By pinning down the bulk of Japanese forces, China prevented Tokyo from pushing northward into the Soviet Union or southward into the Pacific, thereby shaping the strategic balance that allowed the Allies to eventually prevail.

The message of the parade was clear: the Chinese battlefield was indispensable to the global anti-fascist victory. Any attempt to........

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