“The war in Asia-Pacific has been seen in American popular culture, particularly in television and film. China will think about Yan’an and Chongqing, Britain will think about the Blitz on London, and the United States will think about its own immense efforts to liberate Europe and the Pacific,” Mitter said. “When considering World War II, every country tends to think about its own history. Oxford University Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China Rana Mitter observed how China’s role in World War II history is not prominent in the minds of many Americans. alliance played a vital role in the eventual defeat of Japan, which stands as a significant and forever memorable chapter in the history of Chinese-American relations.” “Although the contradictions among the policies of the three parties presented Sino-American cooperation with difficulties,” Zhang said, “the China-U.S. Zhang Baijia, former Vice Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) History Research Institute, opened the discussion by outlining the wartime policies of the Kuomintang (KMT), the CCP, and the United States.
The event brought together renowned historians and international relations experts from China and around the globe to reflect on the lessons of the past and how they might inform present-day U.S.-China relations.Ībout 200 participants signed in from around the world as the panelists shared their perspectives and largely agreed that today, just like in the past, cooperation would greatly benefit both China and the U.S., while confrontation will serve neither. To commemorate this often overlooked chapter of history, the NYU Shanghai-ECNU Center on Global History, Economy, and Culture joined forces with the Cornell Club of Shanghai to host a forum, “Hope in Times of Challenge: Reflections on China-U.S. December 2021 marks the 80th anniversary of China and the United States becoming World War II allies.