Latest news with #EighthRouteArmy
RTHK
5 days ago
- General
- RTHK
Wartime sites revived as China commemorates victory
Wartime sites revived as China commemorates victory Deep bullet holes still scar the walls of the historic buildings. Photo: RTHK Wartime sites in Shanxi province have been transformed into places of learning and remembrance, as China marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War. One such site is in Yangquan City, where deep bullet holes still scar the walls of buildings. The Liu Family Mansion, once the scene of fierce combat between the Eighth Route Army and Japanese troops, has been restored and converted into an exhibition hall. The display tells the story of a battle where Chinese troops, though outnumbered, won a significant victory. These events were part of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign launched in August 1940, when the Eighth Route Army attacked Japanese-controlled railways and mines in northern China. One of the commanders, Fan Zixia, led sabotage missions along the Zheng-Tai Railway, destroying bridges and capturing train stations to cut off Japanese supply lines. Fan was later killed in 1942. His granddaughter, Fan Wei, has spent years retracing his footsteps – visiting old trenches, water towers, and rail stations where he once fought. 'I'm proud of my grandfather,' Fan Wei said. 'His bravery still inspires our family and younger generations.' China is organising a series of commemorative activities to mark the 80th war victory anniversary, including a major military parade on September 3.
RTHK
6 days ago
- RTHK
Tourism turn for key army HQ in anti-Japanese war
Tourism turn for key army HQ in anti-Japanese war Li Jinshui says Chinese with conscience had to step forward to save the country during the war. Photo: RTHK Shanxi province has established a 'red cultural ecosystem' and patriotic education base at the site of the former Eighth Route Army headquarters in the war of resistance against Japan. Educational tours have been hosted at the site in Wuxiang county in Shanxi, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War. A former soldier from Wuxiang county who participated in the war of resistance, Li Jinshui, joined the Eighth Route Army at the age of 17 and participated in multiple battles. 'With my country being in trouble, I, as a person with conscience, had to step forward and save my country with guns,' he said. Li, 98, said he was seriously injured in a battle in 1944, with a bullet hitting him in the left leg, but that he continued to fight. 'I was discharged despite my wound not having fully recovered because we only had a small hospital and many injured soldiers,' he said. "The army needed people so I returned when my condition was stable." The former Eighth Route Army headquarters, from where oversight was cast over 135 battles during the war, has now been transformed into a memorial hall. The 'red tourism' site is expected to see more than 200,000 visitors per year. Researcher Guo Xiuxiang from a research institute of Communist Party history in Shanxi said the site is of high historical value. 'The site witnessed how Chinese soldiers and people fought against a siege and attack by the Japanese army,' she said. "It also witnessed how the Eighth Route Army engaged in guerrilla warfare against Japanese forces, and as such it has a very high historical value."
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
When the US was gung ho for China
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up As they talked through the significance of the attack, Carlson and Zhu De imagined the possibility of a US-China alliance against Japan. Casting their minds further, they envisioned a broader world war where China, the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union would join forces against Japan, Germany, and Italy. Advertisement They were years ahead of the course of events, but as they sat by the fire that night, the Marine and the Chinese general agreed on one thing: If the United States and China should fight together against Japan, the two countries would surely go forth from that war as close friends and allies. Advertisement The United States did not join the war then — the isolationist sentiments of the American public were just too strong. But the idea of an alliance stuck in Carlson's mind. In the coming months he would travel more than 2,000 miles through Japanese-occupied North China in the company of Communist patrols, studying the tactics of Zhu De's guerrilla forces and imagining how the US and Chinese militaries could complement each other's strengths. In the Communist fighters, Carlson saw qualities he doubted his own countrymen could match. Their willingness to suffer, to fight through deprivation. Their endurance in spite of having no rear support, carrying their meager rations with them on the march. Their weapons were makeshift. Many had no overcoats and wore only felt-soled shoes in the bitter cold. Yet their morale was breathtaking. They worked together in tight-knit groups, bonded by a shared mindset. To a man, they were ready to give their lives for China's future. Carlson came away from that experience an evangelist of guerrilla warfare, convinced that Zhu De had invented, as he told FDR, 'a style of military tactics quite different from that employed by any other military force in China, and, indeed, new to foreign armies as well.' After Pearl Harbor finally dragged the United States into the war in Asia, Carlson got his chance to put what he had learned in China into practice. With the patronage of President Roosevelt (and Roosevelt's oldest son, James, as his executive officer), Carlson formed the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, one of the first American Special Forces units in World War II. He trained them to fight like the Chinese of the Eighth Route Army. Advertisement A patrol by Marine Raiders on Guadalcanal. Marine Corps History Division Writing to a friend from Guadalcanal just after the Raiders completed a grueling month-long jungle patrol behind enemy lines in 1942 — during which they killed 488 Japanese combatants while losing only 16 of their own — Carlson gave all credit for his methods to the Chinese. 'We used Eighth Route Army tactics almost exclusively,' he wrote. 'The old master's philosophy is the guiding force in my organization.' The 'old master' was Zhu De. Carlson was not a Communist, and he didn't really believe the Chinese were, either. They seemed so different from the Soviets that he always called them the 'so-called Chinese communists' in his letters to Roosevelt. But he agreed with them that fighters who possessed a strong political understanding of why they were fighting, and what they were fighting for, would be far more effective on the battlefield. Carlson ran his Raiders as a democratic outfit, all as equals, blurring the lines between the officers and enlisted men — because, as he put it, if they were going to fight a war to protect democracy, then they had better practice it in their own ranks. Navy Admiral Chester W. Nimitz decorated Lieutenant Colonel Evans Carlson on Guadalcanal on Sept. 30, 1942. National Museum of the United States Navy Carlson's Raiders were darlings of the wartime US media. Their Chinese-derived motto, 'Gung Ho!,' entered the English lexicon and has stayed there. Taken from the Chinese characters for 'work' and 'together,' Carlson's 'gung ho' meant cooperation, harmony in the ranks, the courage to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the group. It was the ethos of his battalion and he hoped it would catch on more widely in the United States. 'Americans may not understand Chinese,' read one ad in a wartime newspaper, 'but they DO understand the meaning of 'Gung Ho!'' Advertisement Today, Americans don't give much thought to the fact that we were allies with China in World War II. The current hostility between our countries is as dark as at any time since the Cold War. At last count, the Pew Foundation's survey of global attitudes found that But Carlson is a reminder of how positively Americans used to view China itself, and the Chinese Communists in particular. To the wartime media, Carlson was the 'No. 1 Guerrilla.' Life magazine celebrated him as 'a student of Chinese guerrilla fighting [who] teaches his men both how to fight and what they fight for.' Universal Pictures made a movie about him in 1943. The title: 'Gung Ho!' Carlson didn't need to hide his ties to the Chinese Communists in the 1940s — indeed, they were the most public part of his work, the foundation of his mystique. How quickly it all fell apart. The defeat of Japan in 1945 reawakened the latent Chinese civil war between Mao's Communists and Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang, or KMT. President Harry Truman took the side of the KMT, but he was betting on the wrong horse. Chiang would lose China and retreat under US protection to Taiwan — leaving an unfinished civil war across the Taiwan Strait that remains the most likely source of a future US-China military conflict. Just five years after the defeat of Japan in World War II, the hopeful alliance between the United States and China gave way to the slaughter of each other's soldiers on the battlefields of Korea. Advertisement Evans Carlson in 1944. National Archives Carlson died of a heart attack in 1947, so he did not live to see the full ramifications of this unraveling. But he saw it coming. Crippled by wounds sustained on Saipan in 1944, he spent his final years railing against Truman's support for Chiang Kai-shek. He called for the US Marines to withdraw from China, insisting that the United States must stay neutral in the civil war while the Chinese figured out their own destiny. This did not endear him to the anticommunists, for the actual Communists in the United States, following Moscow, were calling for the exact same thing. They wanted the United States out of China so the Soviets could shape the outcome there. For Carlson, it was more principled: He knew that the conflict in China was too vast, and its historical roots too deep, to depend on the short-term interventions of any outside power, be it the US or the USSR. At the end of World War II, Evans Carlson was still the only American military observer who had spent substantial time in the field with the Chinese Communist armies. He maintained (correctly, as it turned out) that even with US support there was no way the KMT could win a civil war against them. But with FDR gone, nobody in power wanted to listen to him anymore. Carlson died predicting that Truman's support for Chiang Kai-shek would prove to be the greatest mistake the United States had ever made in East Asia. Looking at where we are today, it's not entirely clear that he was wrong. Advertisement
Korea Herald
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
CGTN: Why does China honor the spirit of resisting aggression?
BEIJING, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CGTN has published an article on why China will commemorate the 80th anniversary of its victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and how the country has drawn strength from its past to power modernization. The Hundred-Regiment Campaign was the largest and longest strategic offensive launched by the Eighth Route Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in northern China during the entire nation's resistance against Japanese aggression. Involving over 200,000 troops from 105 regiments and lasting from August 1940 to January 1941, the campaign targeted enemy infrastructure, disrupted supply lines, and significantly delayed Japan's southward expansion. More than a military milestone, it became a powerful symbol of national defiance and unity under extreme hardship – a vivid reflection of the Chinese people's unwavering resolve to resist aggression and reclaim their future. On the Eastern Front during World War II (WWII), China's prolonged resistance tied down vast numbers of Japanese troops, thereby easing pressure on Allied forces in the Pacific and Europe. In this global context, the Hundred-Regiment Campaign exemplified China's critical contribution to the world's victory over fascism, a legacy that continues to shape the nation's identity and trajectory. In recognition of its enduring role in that hard-won victory, China is preparing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War with solemn and significant events. On September 3, it will hold a military parade in Tiananmen Square in downtown Beijing. China made tremendous sacrifices during the 14-year war of resistance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on July 7, the 88th anniversary of the start of the entire nation's resistance against Japanese aggression, during a visit to a memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign. "If the past is not forgotten, it can serve as a guide for the future," he said. Staying true to the original aspiration Situated on the slopes of Shinao Mountain in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, the Hundred-Regiment Campaign memorial hall is a solemn landmark commemorating a pivotal moment in history. What was once a fierce battlefield has become a place of deep national remembrance. Inside the memorial hall, exhibits and relics from the campaign bring history to life: scorched uniforms, worn-out rifles and black-and-white photographs tell stories of courage under fire. Among them are items from the "Bayonet Assault Hero Company," known for its fearless hand-to-hand combat in the most perilous conditions. The unit's legacy continues today, as it remains active in disaster relief, defense missions and peacekeeping operations. Xi laid a floral basket in tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the war of resistance at the monument square honoring the martyrs of the campaign. The president's tribute was more than ceremonial. It was a reaffirmation of the enduring values forged in war. "No matter how far we go, we can never forget the road we've taken, or why we set out in the first place," Xi said. Drawing strength from the past to build the future Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi has visited Shanxi multiple times, expressing high expectations for its development. He has called on Shanxi to draw strength from its rich revolutionary legacy and cultural resources, and achieve new breakthroughs in high-quality growth and transformation. During July 7's visit, Xi toured Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd., where he visited the company's production workshop and product display area, interacted with workers, and learned about the region's progress in industrial upgrading and high-quality growth. A traditional coal-producing province, Shanxi has long faced the challenge of economic dependence on natural resources. In 2019, it was designated as China's first pilot province for comprehensive energy reform. Today, Shanxi is accelerating green transformation, promoting advanced manufacturing and cultivating new engines of growth. By the end of August 2024, the province had achieved 48 percent of its installed capacity in new and clean energy, representing a 14.1 percentage point increase since 2019. At the same time, local governments have tapped into red tourism – travel experiences centered around revolutionary heritage – and combined it with rural revitalization strategies. Currently, 35 themed red tourism routes spanning all 11 prefecture-level cities in Shanxi are being promoted, linking more than 3,400 revolutionary heritage sites. This cultural mobilization is driving impressive results. In 2024, Shanxi received 318 million domestic tourist visits, a 13.9 percent year-on-year increase, with total tourism revenue reaching 276.15 billion yuan (about $38.5 billion), up 25.9 percent from the previous year. The fusion of historical memory and high-quality development has helped Shanxi advance a dual transformation – both spiritual and structural – turning revolutionary spirit into a productive force for modern revitalization. As China draws strength from its revolutionary legacy to power modernization, it also continues to uphold the hard-won peace forged in the flames of war. At a time of growing global uncertainty, the values born of the war of resistance remain deeply relevant.
Cision Canada
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
CGTN: Why does China honor the spirit of resisting aggression?
BEIJING, July 9, 2025 /CNW/ -- CGTN has published an article on why China will commemorate the 80th anniversary of its victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and how the country has drawn strength from its past to power modernization. The Hundred-Regiment Campaign was the largest and longest strategic offensive launched by the Eighth Route Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in northern China during the entire nation's resistance against Japanese aggression. Involving over 200,000 troops from 105 regiments and lasting from August 1940 to January 1941, the campaign targeted enemy infrastructure, disrupted supply lines, and significantly delayed Japan's southward expansion. More than a military milestone, it became a powerful symbol of national defiance and unity under extreme hardship – a vivid reflection of the Chinese people's unwavering resolve to resist aggression and reclaim their future. On the Eastern Front during World War II (WWII), China's prolonged resistance tied down vast numbers of Japanese troops, thereby easing pressure on Allied forces in the Pacific and Europe. In this global context, the Hundred-Regiment Campaign exemplified China's critical contribution to the world's victory over fascism, a legacy that continues to shape the nation's identity and trajectory. In recognition of its enduring role in that hard-won victory, China is preparing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War with solemn and significant events. On September 3, it will hold a military parade in Tiananmen Square in downtown Beijing. China made tremendous sacrifices during the 14-year war of resistance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on July 7, the 88th anniversary of the start of the entire nation's resistance against Japanese aggression, during a visit to a memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign. "If the past is not forgotten, it can serve as a guide for the future," he said. Staying true to the original aspiration Situated on the slopes of Shinao Mountain in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, the Hundred-Regiment Campaign memorial hall is a solemn landmark commemorating a pivotal moment in history. What was once a fierce battlefield has become a place of deep national remembrance. Inside the memorial hall, exhibits and relics from the campaign bring history to life: scorched uniforms, worn-out rifles and black-and-white photographs tell stories of courage under fire. Among them are items from the "Bayonet Assault Hero Company," known for its fearless hand-to-hand combat in the most perilous conditions. The unit's legacy continues today, as it remains active in disaster relief, defense missions and peacekeeping operations. Xi laid a floral basket in tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the war of resistance at the monument square honoring the martyrs of the campaign. The president's tribute was more than ceremonial. It was a reaffirmation of the enduring values forged in war. "No matter how far we go, we can never forget the road we've taken, or why we set out in the first place," Xi said. Drawing strength from the past to build the future Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi has visited Shanxi multiple times, expressing high expectations for its development. He has called on Shanxi to draw strength from its rich revolutionary legacy and cultural resources, and achieve new breakthroughs in high-quality growth and transformation. During July 7's visit, Xi toured Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd., where he visited the company's production workshop and product display area, interacted with workers, and learned about the region's progress in industrial upgrading and high-quality growth. A traditional coal-producing province, Shanxi has long faced the challenge of economic dependence on natural resources. In 2019, it was designated as China's first pilot province for comprehensive energy reform. Today, Shanxi is accelerating green transformation, promoting advanced manufacturing and cultivating new engines of growth. By the end of August 2024, the province had achieved 48 percent of its installed capacity in new and clean energy, representing a 14.1 percentage point increase since 2019. At the same time, local governments have tapped into red tourism – travel experiences centered around revolutionary heritage – and combined it with rural revitalization strategies. Currently, 35 themed red tourism routes spanning all 11 prefecture-level cities in Shanxi are being promoted, linking more than 3,400 revolutionary heritage sites. This cultural mobilization is driving impressive results. In 2024, Shanxi received 318 million domestic tourist visits, a 13.9 percent year-on-year increase, with total tourism revenue reaching 276.15 billion yuan (about $38.5 billion), up 25.9 percent from the previous year. The fusion of historical memory and high-quality development has helped Shanxi advance a dual transformation – both spiritual and structural – turning revolutionary spirit into a productive force for modern revitalization. As China draws strength from its revolutionary legacy to power modernization, it also continues to uphold the hard-won peace forged in the flames of war. At a time of growing global uncertainty, the values born of the war of resistance remain deeply relevant.
