When Australians at their Bakelite radios heard of China’s victory over Japan in 1945, they knew this was the triumph of an ally. World War II had started with the Rape of Nanjing in 1937 and the Chinese lost 20 million people resisting the invasion.

Soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army practise for a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.Credit: Getty Images

Australians also knew the link between these sacrifices and our own security. Chinese armies had kept 1 million Japanese troops tied down. According to historian John Hirst, this made it impossible for the Japanese navy in 1942 to win its case for an invasion of Australia. The Imperial Army could not spare the divisions.

With a father who had served in the Pacific and a mother who was in the army along with an aunt and two uncles, I learnt as a kid about the Chinese theatre of the war. It’s why I accepted an invitation from the Chinese consul-general to attend the 80th celebration of their victory, travelling to Beijing at my own expense.

The........

© The Age