Reference News Network, August 21 report - The Spanish website China Policy Watch published an article titled "China in World War II: A Necessary Reassessment" on August 19. The author is Julio Rios, a Spanish expert on China. The article is excerpted as follows:

The 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War reminds us of the great sacrifices made by China during its long struggle against Japanese aggression. The invasion of China by Japan from the 1930s to the 1940s brought unimaginable cruelty to China. According to the latest data, during this 14-year war, 35 million Chinese military and civilians were killed or injured.

In the West, we are taught that World War II began in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. This Europe-centered perspective ignores the historical fact that Japanese forces had already invaded China in 1931, and for the next 14 years, China was fighting bravely against Japanese aggression.

It is certain that World War II took place in two time periods and two battlefields, but the narrative has been influenced by an unfair perspective that focuses more on Europe than Asia. For example, the West has become accustomed to remembering the atrocities of the Nazis, but knows little about the terror committed by the Japanese army on Chinese soil.

The unjust stance of the West has led Japan not to feel that it is an urgent need to recognize its historical responsibility with the necessary seriousness, and has not conducted a thorough and necessary public acknowledgment of its war crimes. It is now time to rebalance the perception and evaluation of this tragedy. Under the current circumstances, ignoring the participants who played a decisive role in the final outcome of World War II is both unfair and dangerous.

For a long time, the significance and strategic impact of China's contributions during World War II have been overlooked. Therefore, it is time to acknowledge that the starting point of the war was not in Europe, but in Asia, specifically on Chinese territory.

The academic community has the responsibility to strive to rebalance the Western perspective on World War II, which can help us better understand the valuable value of the existing international order, which remains the starting point for achieving stability.

Today, Japan is restructuring its security and defense policies. The Japanese government continues to maintain a regrettable ambiguous position, making self-justifications, while they should have had to face the truth.

China and other victim countries have the right to call for a revival of historical memory of this dark chapter. We must fully and thoroughly confront this history, doing so not only to restore history to its original form, but also to reject the dilution of the tragedy. The threat to peace is real.

Historical lessons must not be ignored, nor can we turn a blind eye to warning signals. China emphasizing this at this moment is both a special contribution and a warning to the international community - calling on all parties to ensure that the tragedy of history does not happen again with greater determination. (Translated by Wang Meng)

On July 8, visitors came to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Memorial Hall for a visit. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7540878719129256458/

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