In memory of China's foreign friends in WWII
- By Li Donglang
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 2, 2015
The influence and role of the foreign friends to the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression:
First, the medical, technical and personnel help offered by the International community greatly alleviated shortages for Chinese armies. Meanwhile, the issuance of rebukes and boycotts of Japan greatly reduced its capabilities to fight a protracted war.
Second, with the disclosure of Japanese war crimes, the international community was alerted and reversed its view of the war in the Far East. As early as Aug. 29, 1937, a U.S. anti-fascist alliance wrote to Cordell Hull, then Secretary of State, demanding the country to drop its wait-and-see attitude toward Japan's invasion of China. On Nov. 5, 1937, the head of the American Federation of Labor stressed that, if the U.S. did not constrain Japan, which was slaughtering Chinese people with advanced armaments, it would be putting its own security at risk.
Third, wartime friendship with other countries, and the economic or humanitarian support and direct or indirect assistance they offered, greatly inspired the Chinese people to persevere in resisting Japanese aggression.
The war on the mainland tactically obstructed the Japanese intruders and alleviated the burden on European countries.
Fourth, there was the contribution of revealing the truth about the Communist Party of China (CPC). Following American journalist Edgar Snow, a large number of journalists, scholars and missionaries from the West, as well as Evans Fordyce Carlson, a U.S. Marines intelligence officer, visited Yan'an and other anti-Japanese base areas in the enemy's rear to talk with CPC leaders, learn about the Red Army and cover their efforts in the war. As a result, a large quantity of first-hand material on China's Communist movement was made known to the public and drew high praise from all over the world for the CPC and the growing influence of the battles fought by the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army and various CPC-led guerrillas in the enemy's rear. Their words presented a positive image of the CPC, increased its influence, and even affected some countries' decision-makers. For instance, Carlson sent letters to President Franklin D. Roosevelt almost every week on his experiences in China. The letters were inspiring and showed the latter the value of guerrilla warfare. Roosevelt also read Edgar Snow's Red Star over China and met Snow three times to learn about China's counter-Japanese war and the CPC.
Fifth, the efforts of these foreign friends had profound influence on China's relations with other countries after the war.
They came from numerous social circles of many countries. There were government officials, social celebrities, educators, writers, journalists, medical staff, industrialists, religious personages and servicemen. They might differ in family background, occupation, faith and view on China, but they shared one thing in common: helping the Chinese people in their struggle to repel the brutal Japanese invaders.
Some of these people traveled a long way to help the Chinese despite the dangers and hardships. Their decision to travel to China, their aid to the Chinese people and their hard efforts in the war represented their friendship with the Chinese people and their goodwill to the country.
As an inseparable part of the Chinese people's war against Japanese invasion, they will never be forgotten. Chinese President Xi Jinping's remark on the 69th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression reflected Chinese people's feelings. He said: "Our anti-fascist allies like the former Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom provided much manpower and material support for Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and anti-fascist warriors from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Canada, India, New Zealand, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Japan joined hands with us in the war. We won't forget those friends who supported us and even sacrificed their lives.
"We won't forget those friends who helped the Chinese people in Nanjing Massacre. We won't forget the veterans from the 'Flying Tigers' and the Soviet Red Army. We won't forget those doctors including Dr. Henry Norman Bethune and Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis, and those journalists who reported the war honestly.
"Chinese people will forever remember those friends who made their contribution to Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression."
The author is the researcher of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
The article is translated by Wu Jin, Chen Xia, Lin Liyao and Guo Yiming and the unabridged version was first published in Chinese.
Opinion Articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
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