China Power

China’s ‘Victory Day’ Celebration

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China Power

China’s ‘Victory Day’ Celebration

How China remembers World War II has major implications on its relationship with modern-day Japan.

On February 27 of this year, China’s legislature passed a resolution creating two new national observances. “Victory Day” on September 3 would commemorate Japan’s surrender in the “War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” China’s name for its fight against Imperial Japan before and during World War II.  December 13 was also named a National Memorial Day to commemorate the Nanjing Massacre, which holds a special place in China’s collective memory of wartime atrocities.

Wednesday marked the first-ever observation of China’s new “Victory Day” — and, as always, though the stated focus was on history, commentary on present-day Japan was the real topic.

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