The Chinese People’s War Of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression In The International Perspective

The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is the war of national liberation in which the Chinese nation won the first complete victory in modern history.It not only made modern China realize the transformation from "sinking" to "rising" in a comprehensive sense,but also made indelible contribution to the global war against fascism.During the war,many overseas publications paid close attention to and reported on this war,among which the important representative was Pacific Affairs,the publication of the Institute of the Pacific Relations.From 1931 to1945,Pacific Affairs published a large number of articles about Chinese Anti-Japanese War,presenting a comprehensive and clear picture of Chinese Anti-Japanese War to the international community.At the same time,with the in-depth understanding of the event,the attitude and cognition of the journal towards the Japan,the Chinese Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China(CPC)also had a certain degree of change.Pacific Affairs changed its attitude towards Japan’s invasion of China from "neutral" to "opposed".From 1931 to 1937,the journal maintained a neutral and wait-and-see attitude towards the Japanese invasion of China.It presented the progress of the Sino-Japanese War by publishing articles with different viewpoints on the Manchuria issue,and believed that the solution to the Sino-Japanese conflict laid in the understanding and cooperation between the two sides.After the Lugou Bridge Incident,the journal showed obvious opposition to Japan’s aggression against China.It not only demonstrated the illegitimacy and vulnerability of Japan’s aggression and colonial rule,but also further condemned the appeasement policy of the international community and called on Western countries to aid and support China’s resistance against Japan.This change of attitude is due not only to the authors’ deeper understanding of the nature of Japan’s aggression against China,but also to the consideration of the national interests of the United States.The cognition and description of the Chinese Kuomintang in Pacific Affairs changed from "rising " to "declining".From 1931 to 1938,the journal thought that the Kuomintang was a political party with strong vitality and ruling power.It not only made remarkable achievements in political,economic and cultural construction,but also changed the policy from preparing for the war against Japan to tenacious resistance with the change of the war situation.However,After 1938,Pacific Affairs thought the Kuomintang was increasingly decrepit and alienated people.It had an increasingly authoritarian and corrupt regime,a troubled economy,and implemented the policy of active anti-communism and passive resistance to Japan.This change in cognition and description not only reflects the Kuomintang ruling crisis,but also is the result of the authors’ perception of the huge difference between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China.The Communist Party of China in the perspective of Pacific Affairs changed from a "red threat" to a "shining red star ".In the early period of regional war of resistance against Japanese aggression,The journal described the Communist Party of China as a "threat" to the Kuomintang regime and US interests in China.In the late period of the regional war,the Communist Party of China had a relatively neutral image of "red power" in Pacific Affairs.In the period of all-out war of aggression against China,the journal regarded the CPC as a shining red star in the war.In this journal,the Communist Party leaders were wise people’s leaders,the Communist Party of China army was a new type of people’s army to safeguard the interests of the people,the regime construction of border area was "a model of democracy",and the mass mobilization was "an important weapon for the victory of the Anti-Japanese War".This change is not only because the authors have deepened their understanding of the CPC through field visits,but also related to an increasingly left-leaning research standpoint of the Institute of the Pacific Relations.Besides,the transformation of policy to foreign country of CPC is also an important factor.Examining the journal’s interpretation of China’s Anti-Japanese War,it can be found that the nationalist orientation,the writing based on field investigation,the change of the position from internationalism to anti-colonialism,and the internal orientation of China Studies,are the important characteristics of the journal.However,the influence of national interests on its position,and the existence of a western-centric view,are the limitations of this journal.Nevertheless,this journal not only promoted the understanding and support of the international community for the War of Resistance against Japan,but also made the international community further realize the status and role of the Communist Party of China in the war.In the new historical period,the interpretation of Chinese Anti-Japanese War and the image of China in this journal suggest that we should uphold the global historical vision,make good use of the mirror image of others and promote the study of Chinese Anti-Japanese War with the help of overseas research strengths.At the same time,we should stick to the two-way approach like "bring in" and "going out" to tell Chinese story well to the international community.In addition,We should enhance Chinese international discourse power by constructing discourse system with Chinese characteristics and promoting capacity of International agenda-setting.