China's World War II Commemoration and Historical Narratives

This week on Sinica, I speak first with retired Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a frequent commentator on Chinese military and security affairs and a prolific writer now at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, and with Rana Mitter of the Harvard Kennedy School and author of Forgotten Ally, a book about World War II in China.

4:08 – The primary objectives behind the September 3rd parade

10:03 – China’s position in the global arms market

14:45 – The strategic importance of the new weapons on display

21:10 – China, Russia, and North Korea: strategic dynamics

33:14 – Perspectives on the China–Russia relationship

44:13 – Avoiding security dilemma spirals

50:32 – Rana Mitter: Wartime memory, national narratives, and the 2025 shift

57:06 – Narratives of China’s role in World War II

01:19:01 – The significance and performative Dimension of the 2025 parade

01:26:26 – China’s postwar role and evolving global ambitions

Recommendations:

Rana: Face-Off (podcast), Enchanted Revolution by Xiaofei Kang

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