Friends of Socialist China, Author at Friends of Socialist China

Madan Mohan Lal Atal: Indian revolutionary doctor who served in Spain and China

We are pleased to publish the below article by Ajay Kamalakaran, which was originally carried by Mumbai’s Free Press Journal, on the life of Dr. Madan Mohan Lal Atal, who led the five-member Indian Medical Mission sent by the Indian National Congress to help the Chinese people in their war of resistance against Japanese aggression, after General Zhu De made a personal request to Jawaharlal Nehru.

Ajay explains that Atal was attracted to left-wing ideas from his days as a medical student in Edinburgh, Scotland. An anti-colonialist and staunch believer in the right of self-determination of peoples, he got involved in causes that went well beyond the borders of British India.

In 1937 he joined the Spanish Medical Aid Committee, a British organisation that supported the Republican Popular Front government in the war against the fascist uprising led by General Franco.

Details of the ‘Spanish Doctors’, from many nations, may be found in this article, published by The Volunteer, founded by the veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, the US section of the International Brigades who fought fascism in Spain.

A year later, Atal was asked to return to India from Spain in order to lead the medical mission to China. He was 50-years-old and well aware of the risks involved:

“How long we stay in China depends on the accuracy of Japanese aviators,” he told international correspondents in October 1938. “I interviewed [Mahatma] Gandhi before I left India. I told him we would stay until the end of the war, and if we were slaughtered by the Japanese, another unit would take our place.”

In fact, over 700 people applied to join the mission in China when a special committee called for volunteers. These included over 100 doctors, including two women. The applications came from all across the Indian subcontinent, as well as from Mauritius, East Africa, Syria and England.

As the head of the mission, Atal worked in China for 21 months under the most challenging of circumstances. He addressed the local press when he arrived in Hong Kong in August 1940: “From all accounts the Chinese soldiers are fighting well. If China continues to resist, I think she will emerge victorious, provided of course Chinese leaders remain united.”

He also spoke of the other foreign doctors he had met in China, including German Jewish Dr. Hans Müller, “who did splendid work among the war wounded.”

Müller was indeed another extraordinary figure. Coming to China at the age of 24, Müller fought side by side with the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and later in the War of Liberation (1946-49). A 2021 article in China Daily explained:

“Born into a Jewish family in Dusseldorf, a city on the River Rhine in western Germany, in 1915, Müller, upon finishing high school, found it difficult to stay on in Germany due to the anti-Semitism at the time. He left to continue his studies at the University of Basel, the oldest university in Switzerland, until he earned his PhD in medical science in 1939.”

In order to fight fascism, he made his way to China, sailing from the French port of Marseilles to Hong Kong:

“Following introductions to revolutionary figure Liao Chengzhi and Polish-born Chinese journalist and writer Israel Epstein, Müller was able to reach Yan’an along with the supplies. In Yan’an, Müller met top CPC leaders, including Chairman Mao Zedong and Zhu De, then commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army, and joined the Eighth Route Army. A month later, he followed an Indian medical team to the Taihang Mountains. The trip came just a few days after the death of the Canadian doctor Norman Bethune.”

Wang Yi recalls Austrian communists who joined the Chinese revolution on European visit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Austria, Slovenia and Poland from September 12-16 at the invitation of Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon, and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.

Meeting with Wang in Warsaw on September 15, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that Poland was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, and the two countries have maintained a good friendship. He said that as a historian, he is particularly aware of China’s tremendous sacrifices and contributions to secure victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Poland values its traditional friendship with China and is willing to enhance exchanges and deepen cooperation with China, draw lessons from history, promote the sustained development of bilateral relations, and jointly safeguard world peace and security.

Wang Yi said that Poland was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. For more than half a century, friendship has always been the main theme and cooperation the dominant trend in China-Poland relations, despite changes in the international landscape. China values Poland’s position and influence in Europe and the world and is ready to continue to deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance strategic cooperation, and jointly advance the sustained development of the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership. He expressed the hope that Poland will play an active role in encouraging the European Union to develop an objective and rational understanding of China.

Wang Yi added that as the main battlefield in Asia during World War II, China was the first to resist Japanese militarism, fought the longest, and made the greatest national sacrifices, making a tremendous historic contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Not long ago, China held a commemoration, aiming to remember history, honour fallen heroes, cherish peace, and create a better future. Both China and Poland are independent countries that firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The separatist activities of “Taiwan independence” forces, which attempt to split the country and challenge the outcomes of the victory of World War II, run counter to the tide of history and are doomed to fail. Wang Yi expressed his confidence that Poland will continue to uphold the one-China policy and support China’s great cause of national reunification. Karol Nawrocki said that since 1949, the Polish government has recognised the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China and will continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle.

On September 14, Wang Yi met with President of the National Council of Slovenia Marko Lotrič in Ljubljana.

Wang Yi briefed Marko Lotrič on China’s development path and philosophy, saying that history has shown that the most important thing for a country’s development is to find a path that suits its own national conditions. China has found a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that integrates the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture. The path is deeply rooted in the people while keeping pace with the trends of the times, receiving firm support and endorsement from the Chinese people. This is a successful path of peace, development, openness, and win-win cooperation and China will continue to unswervingly move forward along this path. China is committed to expanding high-standard opening up, promoting green, low-carbon and sustainable development and realising Chinese modernisation. In international relations, China advocates mutual respect, mutual accommodation, and win-win cooperation, striving to build a community with a shared future for humanity. China’s sustained development will offer opportunities to countries around the world, including Slovenia.

Japanese scholar on the continuing struggle for peace and justice

We are pleased to republish the below article by Ishida Ryuji, a Japanese scholar at the School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiaotong University, which was originally published by Global Times on September 2.

In the article, Ryuji makes a profound comparative study of China’s protracted struggle against Japanese fascism in the 1930s and 1940s and the country’s protracted struggle against imperialist powers led by the United States and including Japan today.

The author notes that: “Eighty years ago, after 14 years of arduous struggle and tremendous sacrifice, China finally defeated the war of aggression launched by Japanese fascists. Eighty years later, Japan still seems unable to cast off the shadow of fascism.”

He gives an explanation of fascism that resonates today with regard to other capitalist powers besides Japan: “A typical fascist regime is characterised by the following features: instead of addressing economic stagnation and the resulting political and social unrest through domestic reform or narrowing class disparities, it seeks to shift the crisis outward under the pretext of ‘racial superiority’ through external aggression and expansion.”

He warns that: “Beginning in the 1990s, a generational shift among researchers coincided with the rise of historical revisionist currents and movements. As a result, tendencies to blur or deny the facts of aggression – and even to glorify war through distortions of history – have spread increasingly throughout Japanese society. Whether in reference to wartime Japan or today’s rightward shift, the scholarly atmosphere of analysing these phenomena through the lens of fascism has grown exceedingly faint in the country.”

This is related to the historical trajectory of the Cold War: “After WWII, Western countries led by the US – including Japan, which had once been a fascist state – forcibly imposed the Cold War system… After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Japan-US security alliance was redefined as a military one targeting China.”

Bringing things up to the present, Ryuji writes: “Despite comprehensive inferiority in military, economic and technological domains, the Chinese people ultimately defeated the invaders. Many Japanese to this day remain trapped in the illusion of ‘might makes right,’ with some even clinging to the absurd claim that ‘the Japanese army never lost in China.’ Those who hold such views fail to grasp how the Communist Party of China, armed with theoretical innovation and practical experience, developed the strategies of protracted war and guerrilla warfare that mobilised the immense strength of the entire nation in resisting aggression. Such a strategy of undermining the enemy’s rule from within not only secured China’s victory but also offered invaluable and lasting inspiration for the subsequent global anti-colonial and national liberation movements.

“Today, China is facing interference and coercion from countries such as Japan and the US. Yet China will neither yield nor compromise; instead, it is committed to waging a protracted war full of hardships.

Discovery in Manchester Museum sheds light on Hong Kong guerrillas contribution to allied victory

The Xinhua News Agency recently carried an article on how a discovery, “tucked away in Manchester’s People’s History Museum, a fragile, yellowing notebook – its cover emblazoned with bold red letters reading ‘E.R.C (The East River Column) and the Allies’ – bears witness to one of the World Anti-Fascist War’s most extraordinary partnerships.”

“It is the first time that an archive drafted and collected by Raymond Wong, or Huang Zuomei, has been discovered by Xinhua. This rare document sheds new light on the story of the East River Column, a resistance force led by the Communist Party of China in southern China that fought Japanese aggressors… Its rediscovery offers a vivid reminder of how Chinese and other allied forces once stood shoulder to shoulder against fascism.”

The East River Column was primarily active in Guangdong Province and in Hong Kong, including the New Territories.

In June 1947, the London Gazette listed Wong as one of the recipients of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), awarded by King George VI, “for services to the Forces during military operations in South-East Asia prior to 2nd September 1945.”

One entry in the notebook recalls February 11, 1944, when US pilot Donald Kerr from the Chinese-American Composite Wing was shot down by Japanese forces over Hong Kong. Two female guerrillas from the East River Column found him in the New Territories and escorted him to safety. Kerr later penned a heartfelt letter of gratitude, which is now part of the collection.

The records detail at least 80 allied servicemen rescued by the East River Column, including British soldiers, Indian troops and American pilots. General Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the US 14th Air Force, reportedly cabled that “without your utmost cooperation, the result of this war would be very difficult to accomplish.”

In 1947, Wong was a co-founder of the London Bureau of the Xinhua News Agency. Its first office was in Soho’s Gerard Street, which today is the centre of London’s Chinatown. However, at the time, Gerard Street had no Chinese connections, with London’s first Chinatown being in East London’s Limehouse.

It is interesting to note that the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese Seamen’s Union (CSU) was instrumental in the formation of the East River Column. One of Wong’s co-founders of the Xinhua London Bureau was the Jamaican-born Sam Chinque ( Chen Tiansheng; Sam Chen), who had organised and led the CSU’s Liverpool Branch.

Sam Chinque’s archives were deposited with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2008.

The Xinhua article continues: “Wong’s devotion to his country was indeed profound. After founding Xinhua’s London Bureau in 1947, he returned to Hong Kong and served as the director of the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua News Agency in 1949. In April 1955, Huang was killed aboard the Kashmir Princess, the aircraft destroyed by a bomb planted by Kuomintang agents en route to Indonesia’s Bandung Conference.”

It is widely believed that the aircraft was bombed in the mistaken belief that Premier Zhou Enlai was to travel on it to Bandung.

A detailed study of the East River Column, ‘East River Column – Hong Kong Guerrillas in the Second World War and After’ by Chan Sui-jeung was published by Hong Kong University Press in 2009 and is distributed by The University of Chicago Press.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Tucked away in Manchester’s People’s History Museum, a fragile, yellowing notebook — its cover emblazoned with bold red letters reading “E.R.C (The East River Column) and the Allies” — bears witness to one of the World Anti-Fascist War’s most extraordinary partnerships.

How China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression inspired Africa

We are pleased to republish below two items from the Xinhua News Agency exploring the connections between China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the African liberation struggles of the second half of the 20th century.

Harare-based political commentator Dereck Goto notes that for Zimbabweans, the history of the Global Anti-Fascist War “resonates with our own odyssey from colonial subjugation to independence, from marginalisation to self-assertion”.

The article recalls some important and little-known wartime encounters: “Connections to Africa during the war were real. In 1942, Chinese troops in Myanmar carried out the daring rescue at Yenangyaung, freeing thousands of encircled Allied soldiers. Among accounts from that period are memories of Africans serving in British colonial formations who encountered Chinese troops. One such story, passed down in veterans’ circles, tells of a Rhodesian soldier – Sergeant James Moyo – who wrote that Chinese troops who saved him and his comrades were brothers in the fight for freedom. The story captures the essence of solidarity: strangers recognising in each other a shared destiny of resistance. That spirit prefigured the later bonds between China and Africa in liberation struggles.”

Goto observes that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presence in Beijing at the parade marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, underscores a friendship rooted not in convenience but in shared sacrifice.

The article goes on to describe various ways in which China is contributing to Zimbabwe’s ongoing development process.

The Kariba South hydropower station expansion, the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 and Unit 8 project, the new Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, and Zimbabwe’s 5G rollout through Huawei all carry Chinese fingerprints. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when vaccine nationalism exposed the fragility of global solidarity, it was Chinese vaccines that reached our shores in time. These acts are not transactional; they flow from a philosophy forged in struggle — that security and prosperity must be collective, not individual.

Manuel Pinto da Costa, former president of Sao Tome and Principe, said in an interview with Xinhua that “China’s victory in the war not only profoundly changed the international landscape, but also forged deep bonds of friendship between Africa and China along the path of pursuing independence and national development”.

He added that the rise of emerging forces such as the BRICS countries has created new opportunities for Global South countries to pursue equality and development, and that China’s engagement with Africa is fundamentally different to that historically pursued by the West.

China’s model of cooperation with African countries is fundamentally different from the approaches we experienced in the past. China has demonstrated a path of equality and mutual benefit.

He concludes that “by working hand in hand under the new international landscape, China, Africa and the wider developing world will open up broader opportunities for peace and development”.

To remember history is to carry its torch forward

Sept. 14 (Xinhua) – Eighty years ago, the Chinese people stood battered but unbroken after a 14-year struggle against brutal aggression. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, China suffered over 35 million casualties and saw its cities and villages devastated. Yet from those ashes emerged not only a military victory, but a moral triumph. It was China’s declaration that sovereignty could be reclaimed and that a united people could defeat an enemy that appeared indomitable.

For Zimbabwe, this anniversary is not a distant page in another nation’s story — it is a mirror. China’s path resonates with our own odyssey from colonial subjugation to independence, from marginalisation to self-assertion.

Canadian communists honour Chinese people’s victory

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) (CPCML) issued a special supplement of their online newspaper on September 6 to mark the 80^th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

In its opening article, CPC(ML) writes: “The contribution made by the peoples of China to the cause of liberating humankind from the scourge of Nazi fascism and Japanese militarism and ending World War II was colossal.

“On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the victory of the worldwide Anti-Fascist War, the peoples of the world pay homage to the 35 million Chinese who died in that war and all the heroes who faced the Japanese onslaught and its unprecedented brutality. They join the Chinese people in recalling the events of the war, the leadership of Mao Zedong, one of the outstanding revolutionary anti-imperialist fighters of the 20th century, and in recognising their contributions.”

The party notes that, “Events have recalled the events which took place and the heroism of the people, fully aware that their exceptional courage and ingenuity pinned down some 1.86 million Japanese soldiers, 50 per cent of its total force, preventing their deployment elsewhere,” adding, “Japan has never recognised the heinous crimes it committed in China during its 14 years of occupation.”

But as the article, notes, between 1942 and 1945, the Japanese military carried out the ‘Three-Alls’ Policy against the Chinese people: kill all, burn all and loot all. Besides committing massacres of civilians like the Rape of Nanjing and using biological and germ warfare against the people, the Japanese abducted close to 200,000 Chinese women and girls, forcing them into sex-slavery for the Japanese military. Close to 100 million people were displaced and became refugees.

On the auspicious occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory, the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) pays its deepest respects to the heroic Chinese people and the peoples of Asia who, organised and led by the communists, stopped the Japanese aggressors in their tracks. Along with the Soviet Red Army and the anti-fascist forces of the world, they secured the peace.

CPC(M-L) salutes the Chinese people and their stunning accomplishments in liberating China and turning it into a modern nation, second to none.

CPC(M-L) also pays tribute to the Canadian communist, Dr. Norman Bethune, whose internationalism and selfless medical services to the Chinese people’s war of resistance are the foundation of the fraternal ties of peace and friendship between the Canadian and Chinese people. This friendship is bound to prevail as together the peoples of the world rise to the challenge of coming revolutionary storms.

CPC(M-L) decries the absence of a high-level Canadian delegation in Beijing for China’s Victory Day Celebrations. Canada has joined the US and NATO countries in boycotting the celebrations, thus refusing to acknowledge China’s contributions to the fight against Nazi fascism and Japanese militarism. So too, these warmongering governments boycotted this year’s Victory Day celebrations in Russia on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi fascism in Europe.

CPC(M-L) also condemns Canada’s participation in war exercises the US is holding in the Asia-Pacific to threaten China. Particularly shameful are the war exercises held on the occasion of the V-Day celebrations, with Japan playing a leading role.

“For Canada to condone this and refuse to join the celebrations, is unacceptable. While the government boycotts the 80th Anniversary events, the peoples of Canada and worldwide join the Chinese peoples in celebrating these victories.

The Revolutionary Reel: How Chinese cinema sustains the struggle

The power of storytelling to sustain revolutionary enthusiasm and struggle is well-known. Stories both true and fictional have encouraged fighters in times both good and bad. Vladimir Lenin loved to read novels and took particular inspiration (and the title of one of his most famous works) from Chernyshevsky’s What is to be Done?. This novel continues to inspire, with Chinese President Xi Jinping citing it at the 2024 BRICS Conference, noting how the protagonist’s “unwavering determination and ardent struggle encapsulate exactly the kind of spiritual power we need today. The bigger the storms of our times are, the more we must stand firm at the forefront with unbending determination and pioneering courage.”

As the times have moved on, so have the formats of storytelling, and the moving image has come to replace the written word over the 20th century as the dominant form of narrative. In the same way as novels, the medium responds directly to the social contexts in which it is produced. In the Chinese revolutionary era, and the years leading up to the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, this was evident in the burgeoning film industry of the time, located mostly in Shanghai. The importance of many of these films and the extent to which they played an ideological role in sustaining the Chinese people’s resistance is charted in the below Sixth Tone article, which notes that the films “evolved from cultural commentary into a medium of resistance, help[ed] to shape public opinion and mobilize support for the war effort.” In place of some of the traditional melodramas or fantasy epics, the early Communist Party of China played a direct role in advocating stories which portrayed everyday people’s struggles, women’s struggles, and other tales that raised social awareness.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory against Japanese Aggression, and their inestimable contribution to the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, and once again cinema is making an important ideological contribution. 2025 has seen numerous films depicting this victory and the Chinese people’s experiences and contributions: Dead to Rights (a story in the context of the Nanjing Massacre), both fictional and documentary films covering the Dongji Island incident (where Chinese fisherfolk saved drowning British POWs), as well as the upcoming Evil Unbound, a story covering the notorious germ warfare human experiments carried out by the Japanese Imperial army.

In addition to re-establishing the proper historical contributions of the Chinese people in the history books, which for too long have been downplayed in the West, these narratives and documentaries also remind the Chinese people, and the peoples of the Global South at large, of the importance of protecting one’s own sovereignty and their capacity for resistance and victory.

Kim Jong Il noted in 1973 that “the task set before the cinema today is one of contributing to people’s development into true communists and assisting in the revolutionising and remodelling of the whole of society on the working-class pattern.” And whether you prefer the black and white classics, or the modern blockbusters, the leftist cinema of the People’s Republic of China continues to play this role.

The following article was first published by Sixth Tone.

In the years leading up to Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Chinese cinema had already begun preparing for it. Following the Mukden Incident in 1931, a false flag attack by Japanese troops on a railway line in northeastern China as pretense to invade Manchuria, Chinese filmmakers began incorporating themes of social crisis, injustice, and national survival into their work.

Chinese leaders meet guests from Brazil, Timor-Leste, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece

Besides the 26 heads of state and government, China’s September 3 commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war, was also attended by many other prominent current and former state leaders from around the world, including those from Brazil, Timor-Leste, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece.

On September 4, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Chief Advisor to the Presidency of Brazil Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim.

Wang Yi expressed welcome for Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim’s attendance at the commemoration on behalf of the Brazilian government. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Brazil relations have continuously reached new heights. Both sides should steadfastly work together to build a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, setting an example of the strength through unity among major countries of the Global South.

He said that the current world landscape is undergoing complex changes, with the resurgence of unilateralism undermining the foundation of multilateralism and posing severe challenges to the vast number of developing countries. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus meeting on September 1, in response to the new changes in the international situation, aiming to address global challenges more effectively.

China appreciates Brazil’s earnest performance of its duties as the BRICS chair and is ready to work with Brazil to consolidate the positive momentum of BRICS, promote greater communication and coordination among BRICS countries on major issues, and stand firm on common positions.

Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim handed over the letter from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to President Xi Jinping, expressing that the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was deeply moving, and that releasing pigeons is to convey the message of peace. He congratulated China on the complete success of the event. The Chinese people, faced with foreign aggression, showed unyielding resilience and rose to fight back, making significant historical contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Given the current context in which certain countries disregard international rules, abuse tariffs, and undermine the multilateral trading system, the importance of strengthening unity and cooperation among the Global South and BRICS countries is becoming increasingly prominent. Against this backdrop, China’s proposal of the GGI is of great significance.

On September 5, Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, held talks with Maria Fernanda Lay, President of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste. He said that China firmly supports Timor-Leste in following a development path suited to its own national conditions while safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Noting that the NPC of China and the National Parliament of Timor-Leste have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time, Zhao said the NPC is willing to further enhance exchanges and cooperation among senior members of the legislative bodies and lawmakers of the two countries, deepen experience sharing on topics such as state governance, legislation and supervision, and strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks to present a common voice of the Global South.

Review: Dead to Rights

The Chinese film Dead to Rights, a moving depiction of the 1937-38 Nanjing Massacre, went on general release in London on September 5, distributed by the Cultural Centre of Nouvelles d’Europe UK.

Carlos Martinez reviews the film, arguing that: “Although harrowing to watch, Dead to Rights is not a film of despair. It restores to memory the countless unnamed heroes who resisted occupation. And it reaffirms the principle that only truth can prevent history from being distorted or erased.”

Shen Ao’s Dead to Rights (released domestically as Nanjing Photo Studio) is a Chinese film of searing power and urgency. Set during the Nanjing Massacre of December 1937, it combines meticulous historical detail with a sweeping human drama that is resonating deeply with audiences around the world. Since its release in July, the film has smashed box office records and helped to reignite the discussion about one of the darkest chapters of the twentieth century.

The story follows A Chang (Liu Haoran), a humble postman who is mistaken for a photo studio employee by occupying Japanese soldiers. Realising that their mistake offers an opportunity for survival, Chang plays along. Inside the photo studio, he encounters the owner and his family sheltering in the basement, as well as an actress taking refuge.

The group’s uneasy survival hinges on developing photographs for a Japanese army photographer, Lieutenant Hideo Ito, who is documenting Japanese activities in the city for propaganda purposes. Yet the images they process – of torture, murder and rape – become an unbearable testament to the horrors engulfing their city. Together, the group risks everything to preserve these negatives and smuggle them to the outside world, convinced that only by exposing the truth can justice be served.

The drama draws inspiration from real events. In 1938, a teenage apprentice in Nanjing did indeed copy photographs brought in by Japanese soldiers, creating an album that would later serve as crucial evidence in war crimes trials. The English title, Dead to Rights, underscores the central motif: incontrovertible proof of wrongdoing that ultimately condemned the perpetrators.

The film’s release is especially poignant given its timing, just a few weeks before the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of the Global Anti-Fascist War. As I observed in a recent article, “China’s role in the war, and indeed the very existence of the Pacific Theatre, has to a significant degree been written out of history… However, China was the first country to wage war against fascist occupation, and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was of decisive importance to the overall global victory over fascism. In the course of 14 years of war (1931-45), China suffered over 35 million casualties, and around 20 percent of its people were made refugees.”

While the war crimes carried out by Nazi Germany are etched indelibly into global consciousness, the Nanjing Massacre and other atrocities committed by the Japanese armed forces remain far less well known outside China. The Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, the Eastern counterpart to the Nuremberg trials, estimated that over 260,000 people were killed in the weeks following Japan’s seizure of the city. Tens of thousands of women were raped in what the late historian Iris Chang described as “an orgy of cruelty seldom if ever matched in world history”.

Films like Dead to Rights serve to set the record straight, telling the truth about the occupation’s crimes and reasserting China’s place in the Global Anti-Fascist War. Shen’s film insists that China’s sacrifices, resistance and heroism be remembered.

But the film also arrives at a moment when this history feels painfully alive, with Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza generating horrifying images of indiscriminate bombing, destroyed hospitals and civilian massacres. Indeed, the film’s central theme – the imperative to document the crimes of an occupying force – is being replayed today by courageous journalists and citizens in Gaza, whose cameras and pens are transformed into weapons of truth. As the director has commented: “A photo was a bullet on that battlefield. The click of a shutter echoed the crack of gun. The negatives pierced invaders’ lies.”

Wherever atrocities are denied or minimised – whether the Nazi Holocaust, the Nanjing Massacre, or today’s unfolding tragedies – the work of bearing witness becomes a form of resistance. The film’s characters embody that conviction. Facing daily terror, they nevertheless refuse compromise. They echo the patriotic spirit of a generation that insisted, “We will win this war,” and demanded “not one inch less” than the full liberation of China.

Artistically, the film is striking. The opening sequence cuts between bullets firing and camera shutters clicking, equating the act of shooting with both violence and documentation. The production design recreates Nanjing’s wartime devastation with harrowing realism, while the cast delivers performances of quiet dignity and depth. Liu Haoran’s A Chang is an unlikely hero – fearful but ultimately courageous – whose humanity anchors the narrative.

Although harrowing to watch, Dead to Rights is not a film of despair. It restores to memory the countless unnamed heroes who resisted occupation. And it reaffirms the principle that only truth can prevent history from being distorted or erased. In an era when denial and revisionism persist — whether from Japanese right-wing politicians or from those who seek to obscure the atrocities being perpetrated right now by Israel — this is a powerful and important message.

Dead to Rights is an epic of historical cinema, challenging audiences to confront uncomfortable truths, remember forgotten histories, and to connect to the shared global struggle against fascism and imperialism. To remember is to resist. And to honour those who preserved the truth in Nanjing is to stand in solidarity with those who risk everything today to show the world what must not be denied.

At time of writing, Dead to Rights is showing in cinemas in London, Birmingham and Manchester in the UK. Details may be found here.

Portugal reinforces sound relations with China

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was the first foreign head of government to visit China following the September 3 commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

On September 9 he met with President Xi Jinping, who said that China and Portugal have achieved fruitful outcomes in cooperation across various fields in recent years, setting a model of mutual respect and mutual benefit for countries with different social systems and national conditions. Xi called on the two sides to carry forward the traditional friendship, maintain mutual trust and support, deepen the alignment of development strategies, and expand practical cooperation in areas such as innovation, green development, maritime affairs and healthcare.

He noted that the two sides should give full play to Macao’s unique role as a bridge and make good use of mechanisms like the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes at a higher level. [In addition to China and Portugal this Forum, with its headquarters in Macao, also includes Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste.) They should also encourage exchanges in culture, education, tourism and scientific research, as well as deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Montenegro said the successful practice in Macao over the past 25 years fully demonstrates that the Portuguese government made the right decision. Portugal will continue to adhere to the one-China policy and will not forget the valuable support and assistance provided by China during the most difficult period of Portugal’s economy. (This refers to the economic support that China extended to Portugal during the 2009 Eurozone crisis.)

Despite periodic changes in its domestic political situation, Portugal stands out as a European country that consistently maintains positive relations with China. Moreover, the amicable way in which the issue of the former Portuguese colony of Macao has been resolved, and the way this special administrative region of the People’s Republic continues to act as a bridge not only between China and Portugal, but also to all Portuguese speaking countries, stands in stark contrast to British imperialism’s persistent if futile meddling in Hong Kong.

This understanding permeated the reactions of a number of Chinese scholars to Montenegro’s visit.

China condemns Israel’s brazen attack on Qatar

China has strongly condemned the Israeli bombing of Qatar on September 9.

Speaking at a September 11 meeting of the United Nations Security Council called by Algeria, Pakistan and Somalia, and held in the presence of the Prime Minister of Qatar as well as senior representatives of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ambassador Fu Cong described the attack as being, “in flagrant violation of Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security, international law and the UN Charter, and efforts to achieve peace. China resolutely opposes this and strongly condemns such an act.”

He added: “It is well known that Qatar, as an important mediator in the ceasefire negotiations, has made great efforts to promote the ceasefire and restore peace in Gaza, which has been highly appreciated by the international community. We note that on September 7, the US put forward a new ceasefire proposal and claimed that Israel had agreed to it. However, just two days later, a Hamas delegation discussing the ceasefire proposal was attacked by Israel. Such an act of bad faith, irresponsibility, and deliberate sabotage of the negotiations is indeed despicable.”

Referring to the United States in particular, Ambassador Fu stated: “We would like to advise these major countries, in the interest of regional peace and stability, to take a fair and responsible stance and play a constructive role along with the international community in promoting a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and in easing tensions in the region.”

He also said that: “The Gaza conflict has been going on for almost two years, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe that is appalling and unprecedented in nature. During this period, we have witnessed over and over again the violation of international law and the undermining of the basic norms of international relations. The world should not return to the law of the jungle, and the Middle East should not remain in a state of perpetual war.”

The previous day, at the regular press conference given by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, Spokesperson Lin Jian was asked by China-Arab TV for China’s response to the attack. He replied:

“China strongly condemns the attack yesterday in Doha, Qatar and firmly opposes Israel’s violation of Qatar’s territorial integrity and national security. We are deeply concerned that the attack could lead to further escalation in the region and disapprove of the actions taken by relevant parties to deliberately jeopardise Gaza ceasefire talks. Use of force will not bring peace to the Middle East. Dialogue and negotiation is the fundamental way out. It will soon be two years since the conflict broke out in Gaza. China strongly calls on relevant sides, especially Israel, to make an effort to end the fighting and resume talks, instead of the other way around.”

As a follow up, Global Times requested comment on reports that Israel gave the United States prior notice of its attack. Lin Jian replied:

“We are deeply concerned over relevant reports. Israel’s air strike on Hamas targets in Doha severely violated Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security and will escalate the tensions in the region. This has everything to do with the deeply tilted position of certain non-regional country on the Middle East issue. We urge certain major country to act in the interest of regional peace and stability, adopt a just and responsible stance, and work with the international community to play a constructive role for stopping the conflict and easing the tensions.”

A few days later, on Tuesday 16 September, the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council held an urgent debate regarding Israel’s attack, at the request of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Chen Xu, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, delivered a speech pointing out that Israel’s attack on Qatar constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security, contravenes international law and the UN Charter and undermines peace efforts. Global Times reports:

“Chen emphasized that the abuse of force is not the solution to resolving issues. China calls on all relevant parties, especially Israel, to make more positive efforts to cease hostilities and resume negotiations, earnestly fulfill their obligations under international human rights law and humanitarian law, and respect the right to life of people in neighboring countries. China stands ready to work with the international community to play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire, ending the conflict, and easing regional tensions, Chen stated.”

The following article was originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Remarks on the Situation in the Middle East by Ambassador Fu Cong at the UN Security Council Emergency Briefing

President,

Xi Jinping meets the leaders of Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Congo, Serbia and Indonesia

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a series of meetings on September 4 with national leaders who had come to Beijing to attend the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

In the morning Xi Jinping met with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The two heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a China-Zimbabwe all-weather community with a shared future.

President Xi noted that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Zimbabwe, and the two countries’ “five-star ironclad” friendship has steadily deepened, setting an example for solidarity and coordination between China and Africa, and for the Global South. China will continue to firmly support Zimbabwe in independently pursuing a development path suited to its conditions, oppose external interference and illegal sanctions, and safeguard the shared interests of both countries and the broader Global South.

President Xi emphasised that the two sides should seize the opportunity presented by the elevation of bilateral relations to develop innovative approaches to cooperation and broaden cooperation in infrastructure, mining, investment, trade, and so on, thereby raising the quality and upgrading the substance of cooperation between the two countries. China stands ready to work with Zimbabwe to advance the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and support Zimbabwe’s economic and social development.

President Mnangagwa said that he is delighted to attend the historic commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The international community must never forget China’s important contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and must uphold a correct historical perspective on WWII. After 45 years of development, Zimbabwe-China relations have become increasingly mature and resilient. Zimbabwe looks forward to jointly building an all-weather community with a shared future with China and will unwaveringly adhere to the one-China principle, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields, and work for greater development of the bilateral relationship, bringing greater benefits to the people of the two countries.

At noon Xi met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The Chinese President noted that both China and Slovakia had made tremendous national sacrifices and significant historical contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. At a time when the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, the international community needs solidarity and cooperation more than ever. Both sides should uphold the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity, practice true multilateralism, work for the reform and improvement of the global governance system and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

President Xi emphasised that China highly appreciates Slovakia’s commitment to friendly relations with China and is ready to work with Slovakia to maintain close high-level exchanges, firmly support each other’s chosen development path, strengthen experience sharing on governance, and continuously deepen mutual political trust. President Xi expressed his hope for Slovakia to continue playing a positive role in promoting the sound and steady development of China-EU relations.

Prime Minister Fico said that China made significant contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and to upholding world peace. The successful commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression sends a strong message to the world that justice will prevail, peace will prevail, and the people will prevail, and this is truly impressive. He said it is an honour to be invited to China to witness this grand event in person.

Slovakia was the only member state of NATO and the EU to be represented at the commemoration at head of government level, although Hungary and Bulgaria also sent senior representatives.

In the afternoon, Xi met with President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso. The two heads of state announced the elevation of the bilateral relationship to a high-level community with a shared future between China and the Republic of the Congo.

President Xi noted that the relationship between China and the Republic of the Congo exemplifies China-Africa friendship. The Republic of the Congo is the first country to reach an early harvest arrangement with China under the agreement on economic partnership for shared development and will soon benefit from China’s zero-tariff treatment, opening a new chapter in bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

President Xi noted that since assuming the role of African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Republic of the Congo has been working actively together with China to promote the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit and has achieved commendable results. China stands ready to work with African countries to effectively carry out the ten partnership actions and foster new growth drivers in green industries, e-commerce and digital payments, science and technology, and artificial intelligence, taking China-Africa cooperation to even greater heights. In the current international environment of transformation and turbulence, China and Africa, as important members of the Global South, must shoulder the historic responsibility of upholding international fairness and justice, safeguarding world peace, and promoting common development, and work hand in hand to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Venezuela unveils monument to Chinese people’s victory

Venezuela honoured the 80^th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the War to Resist Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3, with President Nicolás Maduro being joined by Chinese Ambassador Lan Hu to inaugurate a monument in the capital Caracas. They were also accompanied by senior members of the Venezuelan government, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino.

President Maduro stated: “From Caracas, we gift the Chinese people and President Xi Jinping this monument, which will be a permanent testament to the brave victory of resistance against the erstwhile Japanese empire.”

He compared this achievement to the victory of the Soviet Red Army against Nazi Germany, emphasising that “the Chinese people’s army brought the Japanese empire to its knees and defeated it.”

Maduro further reaffirmed the ties of cooperation between Venezuela and China in a context of international solidarity: “The victory of China is the victory of the Bolivarians. It is the victory of Venezuela.”

He also highlighted that currently, in addition to being an economic power, “China is the leading military power on planet earth. A sister power, a friendly power, a power without an imperialist, colonialist, or slave-owning vision.”

Ambassador Lan Hu expressed his gratitude to President Maduro and the Venezuelan people during the inauguration:

“In the name of the government and people of China, I would like to thank President Nicolás Maduro Moros and the government and people of Venezuela for the construction of this commemorative monument, for this great global victory,” he said.

He described it as a reflection of the friendship between the two nations, adding that the sculpture also represents recognition of both the Chinese and global anti-fascist cause, along with the firm determination of both countries to resist any aggression or military invasion,

The following article were first published by Orinoco Tribune and Global Times. That in Orinoco Tribune was originally published in Spanish by Telesur.

Venezuela Commemorates 80 Years of China’s Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan

September 4 (Orinoco Tribune) – Venezuela celebrated the 80th anniversary of the victory of China in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, a part of World War II in Asia. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro presided over an official event held in Caracas on Wednesday, September 3, to commemorate the event. He was accompanied by China’s ambassador to Venezuela, Lan Hu, and high-level members of the Venezuelan government, such as Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

During the ceremony, a commemorative monument was inaugurated to honor China’s liberation from Japanese rule in 1945, a milestone of global significance. “From Caracas, we gift the Chinese people and President Xi Jinping this monument, which will be a permanent testament to the brave victory of resistance against the erstwhile Japanese empire,” stated the Venezuelan president.

President Maduro highlighted the historical significance of the people of China. “Today, 80 years later, we commemorate that victory that happened due to the unity of all of China,” he said. “The people saved their culture, their history, and recovered more than half of their territory that they lost in this criminal, colonial, savage war of the then Japanese empire.”

China-Vietnam relations of comrades and brothers underlined in three high-level meetings

The special relations of comrades as well as brothers between China and Vietnam, as Vietnamese communist leader Ho Chi Minh once described it in a poem, were highlighted by three recent overlapping top level exchanges between the two socialist neighbours.

From August 31-September 2, Zhao Leji, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), visited Vietnam at the invitation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man, leading a party and state delegation to events marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

When meeting with General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee To Lam, Zhao Leji conveyed General Secretary Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings and extended warm congratulations on the historic achievements made in the cause of the CPV and the country over the past 80 years. Zhao Leji stated that under the new circumstances, China is ready to work with Vietnam to fully implement the important common understandings reached between the top leaders of the two Parties and jointly advance the socialist modernisation endeavours in their respective countries, and accelerate the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

To Lam asked Zhao Leji to convey his sincere greetings to General Secretary Xi Jinping and expressed his gratitude for the tremendous assistance provided by China during various periods of Vietnam’s revolution and development. He said that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in development and has become a main driving force of global economic growth.

When meeting with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, Zhao Leji conveyed President Xi Jinping’s best wishes to him, noting that China and Vietnam should respond to external uncertainties with the strengths of the socialist system, uphold and strengthen the leadership of the Communist Party, firmly support each other’s reform and development endeavours, leverage the exemplary role of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between China and Vietnam, jointly resist the countercurrents of unilateralism and protectionism, and defend international fairness and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries.

Zhao Leji attended the ceremony held at the Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and watched the military parade, mass pageantry and grand cultural performances. The Guard of Honour of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was invited to participate in the military parade. The full text of General Secretary To Lam’s speech on the occasion may be read here.

Zhao Leji also paid respects at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and visited Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House.

Around 400 military personnel from the armed forces of China, Russia, Laos, and Cambodia took part in the military parade. Receiving them on August 29, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien extended a warm welcome and expressed gratitude to the foreign troops for their participation. He commended their determination and training efforts, noting their swift integration into rehearsals alongside the Vietnamese forces. Since their arrival, the delegations had received warm attention from both local leaders and the public, he noted.

From August 31-September 1, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Tianjin to attend the meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

China and Cuba build on the friendship established by Chairman Mao and Fidel Castro

On the morning of September 4, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez who was in China for the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

President Xi pointed out that in recent years the building of a China-Cuba community with a shared future has deepened with tangible outcomes, which has become a vivid symbol of the ironclad friendship between the two parties and the two countries. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cuba. Both sides should take this opportunity to bring China-Cuba relations to a higher level and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

President Díaz-Canel noted that the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression had a solemn and lively atmosphere and are of great historic significance. China’s important contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War will never be forgotten. Cuba was the first country in Latin America to build a bilateral community with a shared future with China. The relations between the two Parties and two countries are close, and the friendship is rock-solid.

The two sides released the Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Cuba on Accelerating the Construction of the China-Cuba Community with a Shared Future and signed multiple bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as Belt and Road cooperation, practical cooperation, the Global Security Initiative, sub-national agricultural cooperation, and artificial intelligence.

According to the joint statement: “The two Heads of State highly value the traditional friendship between the Republic of Cuba and the People’s Republic of China… and the fruitful results achieved in the development of relations and cooperation in various fields in the 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Cuba and China are good friends, good comrades and good brothers. The friendship between Cuba and China was forged by the historical leaders of the two countries, represented by Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro Ruz.”

It notes that, “The Heads of State emphasise that the relationship between Cuba and China is at its most favourable historical point. They reaffirm their strong political commitment to advancing bilateral relations by accelerating the development of a Cuba-China Community of Shared Future. The two leaders engaged in a comprehensive exchange of views on party and country relations, reaching significant consensus. They agree to continue strengthening strategic communication, increasing high-level exchanges, deepening both bilateral and multilateral political cooperation, and promoting collaboration at all levels and in all areas. They also commit to further enhancing the special friendly relations between China and Cuba in the New Era and to speeding up the establishment of the Cuba-China Community of Shared Future.”

The Cuban side highly values the outstanding theoretical and practical contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era and hopes that the Chinese people will continue to make new and greater achievements in building socialism under the firm leadership of Comrade Xi Jinping and the CPC.

The Chinese side highly values and firmly supports the fact that, under the leadership of the PCC, the Cuban people persevere on the path of socialism and continuously explore a development model in accordance with their own national conditions, overcoming all difficulties. The Chinese side reaffirms its willingness to deepen friendship, strengthen solidarity and expand cooperation in all fields with the Cuban side.

The Chinese side reaffirms its firm support for the Cuban people in their struggle to defend their national sovereignty against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States. The unjust and illegal blockade of the United States harms the right to life of the Cuban people and constitutes the main obstacle to Cuba’s development. The Chinese side once again calls on the United States to remove Cuba from the arbitrary “list of state sponsors of terrorism.”

Both sides agree to continue strengthening the special ties between the CPC and the PCC, as the cornerstone of relations between the two countries.

Both sides agree to deepen cooperation in science, technology and innovation in the fields of cybersecurity, nanotechnology, life sciences, biomedicine, food production and agrotechnology, brain sciences, biodiversity, climate change, energy and environment, digital transformation, robotics and automation.

London film retrospective pays tribute to Anna May Wong

In the following article, which originally appeared in the Morning Star, David Horsley reviews a season of Anna May Wong’s films, currently showing at the British Film Institute (BFI) on London’s Southbank until October 8, and pays a well-deserved tribute to the pioneering Chinese-American actor and filmmaker.

David writes: “Some films dealing with the war in China either used the usual racist stereotypes or actors in ‘yellow face’ when depicting Chinese people. But one film, Lady From Chungking is an anti-imperialist classic without said stereotypes.

“Anna May Wong (real name Wong Liu Tsong) portrays the lady of the film’s title. She is not only a member of the resistance in an area occupied by the Japanese but is in fact the group’s leader. She wisely directs their efforts to resist and plays a major personal role, sacrificing her life for the cause of freedom.

“Her final defiant words before a firing squad says after her death, that many more will follow in her place, leading to peace and a China free from the invaders.”

She excoriated the racist and sexist stereotyping that she faced in her professional life: “How should we be, with a civilisation that’s so many times older than that of the West. We have our own virtues. We have our rigid code of behaviour, of honour. Why do they never show these on the screen? Why should we always scheme, rob, kill?”

Further information, including synopses of all the films, and details of showings may be found on the BFI website.

David Horsley is also the author of a booklet on the life of Claudia Jones, the African-American communist and great friend of China.

During WWII, Hollywood film makers produced dozens of films based on that conflict. Many were worthy attempts to support the war effort against Hitler and a few are anti-fascist classics, like the outstanding None Shall Escape the Judgement made in 1944 which envisages a court in Warsaw trying a Nazi for his part in the Holocaust. This was years before the actual Nuremberg Trial.

Most films dealt with the war in Europe, with very few on the war in China where the Japanese invaders slaughtered over 20 million men, women and children.

Some films dealing with the war in China either used the usual racist stereotypes or actors in “yellow face” when depicting Chinese people. But one film, Lady From Chungking is an anti-imperialist classic without said stereotypes.

Xi meets Lao president

On September 4, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President, met with Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Lao President, in Beijing.

Thongloun was in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where his country was admitted as a SCO Partner, and for the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as for a working visit.

Xi stressed that given the complex and profound changes in the international and regional landscape, the two sides need to view and approach China-Laos relations from a long-term and strategic perspective and firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns. They need to focus on the operation of the China-Laos Railway and development along the route to upgrade key projects, Xi said, adding that they should also deepen cooperation in defence, law enforcement and security, and other fields.

Thongloun said that the Laos-China relationship is now at its best in history, and Laos is ready to continue working with China to implement the new five-year action plan on building a Laos-China community with a shared future.

Between his participation in the SCO meetings, August 31-September 1, and the commemoration of the war victory, September 3, Thongloun visited Hanoi to participate in the grand ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 – 2025) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (September 2, 1945 – 2025), which was held at the historic Ba Dinh Square in the Vietnamese capital on the morning of September 2.

The Vietnamese newspaper Nhân Dân reported that To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, welcomed the visit of the Lao leader describing it as a testament to the rare, loyal, and special solidarity between the two parties and nations. He noted that the participation of Lao People’s Army soldiers in the National Day parade was a great encouragement to Viet Nam.

The Vietnamese party leader stressed that every victory in Vietnam’s revolutionary cause has been closely tied to the heartfelt support of the Lao party, state, and people. He affirmed that Vietnam deeply treasures this valuable assistance, from the years of resistance in the past to the cause of national construction and defence at present, and that Vietnam will do its utmost, together with Laos, to preserve and further strengthen their special relationship.

For his part, the Lao leader offered congratulations to Vietnam, noting that the success of the August Revolution and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 greatly inspired Laos’s national liberation and energised revolutionary and peace movements among the oppressed peoples worldwide.

Reporting the grand ceremony, Nhân Dân, noted that international guests included:

Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People’s Party and President of the Senate of Cambodia

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of Cuba

Zhao Leji, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress

Igor Sergeenko, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Belarus;

And Vladimir Vladimirovich Yakushev, Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia Party and First Vice Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly.

Also present were leaders of political parties including the General Secretary of the United Left Movement Party of the Dominican Republic and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.

And in a related development, Cuban President and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez paid a state visit to Laos, September 6-7, following his own visits to Vietnam and China.

The Lao News Agency KPL reported that President Thongloun warmly welcomed the Cuban delegation and highly valued the visit, noting that it marked the third time Comrade Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez had visited the Lao PDR. The two leaders expressed satisfaction that relations between the parties, states, and peoples of Laos and Cuba have continued to strengthen as strategic partners bound by common ideals.

On behalf of the Lao party, government, and people, Comrade Thongloun expressed sincere gratitude for the invaluable support extended by Cuba during the Lao people’s national liberation struggle and throughout the subsequent period of national development. He also invited Comrade Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to participate in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Lao PDR at the end of 2025.

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to further expanding the traditional friendship and cooperation established by President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Fidel Castro and thanked the Lao PDR for its continued encouragement and support for Cuba in overcoming challenges.

The following article was originally published on the website of China’s State Council Information Office.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, met with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, in Beijing on Thursday.

Thongloun is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2025, commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and a working visit.

China is ready to deepen exchanges with Laos on experience in party and state governance, Xi said.

The two sides need to focus on the operation of the China-Laos Railway and development along the route to upgrade key projects, Xi said, adding that they should also deepen cooperation in defense, law enforcement and security, and other fields.

Laos fully supports the Global Governance Initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping and stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on the international stage, Thongloun said.

China, Russia and Mongolia strengthen three-way friendship in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping held important meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa on the morning of September 2. Both men were in China to attend the meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) along with the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the war to resist Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war.

President Xi Jinping noted that the China-Russia relationship, having stood the test of changes in the world, has become a prime example of relations between two major countries featuring everlasting good-neighbourliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutual benefit, cooperation and win-win. Staying committed to their abiding aspirations and maintaining resolve, the two sides have produced fruitful outcomes in their cooperation across the board. The Chinese side will work with the Russian side to maintain close high-level exchanges, support each other’s development and rejuvenation, coordinate positions on matters pertaining to each other’s core interests and major concerns in a timely manner, and achieve greater progress in China-Russia relations. The two sides should guide their cooperation through large and especially more flagship projects and promote convergence of interests at a deeper level.

Xi Jinping observed that the Chinese and Russian presidents attending the commemorations of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War held in each other’s countries fully demonstrates the sense of responsibility of major countries as the key victorious nations of World War II and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and speaks to their firm determination to safeguard the fruits of the victory in World War II and uphold a correct historical perspective on the War. Both China and Russia emphasise sovereign equality, international rule of law, and multilateralism. The two sides should continue to step up coordination and cooperation at the UN, the SCO, the BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral platforms, and join hands in building a community with a shared future for humanity.

President Putin noted that guided by President Xi and himself, the bilateral relationship has been highly strategic and reached a historic high. President Xi paid a state visit to Russia and attended the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War last May. President Putin said that he will attend the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression tomorrow. By doing so, the two countries underscore to the world that they helped each other and fought side by side in the World Anti-Fascist War and played critical roles in its victory in both main European and Eastern theatres, and they are firmly committed to jointly upholding the truth of history and safeguarding the fruits of the victory in World War II. The solidarity and cooperation between Russia and China in the World Anti-Fascist War has laid a solid foundation for the development of their relations in the new era.

The Russian President’s website further quoted him as saying: “Our ancestors, fathers and grandfathers paid an enormous price for peace and freedom. We do not forget this – we remember. It is the foundation, the bedrock of our achievements today and in the future.”

In his meeting with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, President Xi noted that China and Mongolia, as friendly neighbours connected by mountains and rivers, are enjoying ever deepening exchanges and cooperation across various fields, with multiple key projects making positive progress. The two sides should be guided by the vision of building a China-Mongolia community with a shared future, consolidate strategic mutual trust, deepen development integration, and bring the two peoples closer, so as to inject sustained momentum into their comprehensive strategic partnership. He stressed that no matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will remain a trustworthy and reliable partner for Mongolia

President Khurelsukh said that it is a priority of Mongolia’s foreign policy to maintain permanent good-neighbourly friendship and pursue sustainable, mutually beneficial cooperation with China. Mongolia highly commends China’s commitment to the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in pursuing its neighbourhood diplomacy. The Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by President Xi Jinping advocates for a UN-centred international governance system that ensures equal participation of all developing countries. Mongolia warmly applauds this initiative and is ready to work with China to provide mutual support and pursue close cooperation on the global stage to safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Xi Jinping meets leaders from Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Malaysia and Tajikistan

On September 2, Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with the leaders of a number of friendly countries who were visiting China to attend the summit meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and to participate in the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the morning, President Xi pointed out that China and Uzbekistan are friendly neighbors and all-weather comprehensive strategic partners for a new era. China supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and stands ready to work together to accelerate the alignment of development strategies, steadily advance the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, step up cooperation in such areas as joint scientific research, green energy, medical and health care, emergency management, artificial intelligence and poverty reduction, and expand exchanges on culture, education, tourism and at the sub-national level. President Xi emphasised that amid complex and volatile changes in the current international situation, a solid and stronger SCO will help countries safeguard their shared interests and boost their respective development.

President Mirziyoyev noted that China made significant contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and hosting the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance highlights China’s courage and resolve to uphold lasting world peace. Uzbekistan attaches great importance to its relations with China and is grateful for China’s long-term and valuable support for its economic and social development and the improvement of people’s livelihood. Uzbekistan congratulates China on hosting a successful SCO Tianjin Summit and believes that China’s productive presidency has effectively elevated the international influence of the Organisation. Uzbekistan fully supports the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, as it addresses the needs of global governance and demonstrates profound strategic vision. Uzbekistan will work with China to implement this initiative and promote a more just and equitable international order.

In his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Xi noted that China and Pakistan share a resilient bond, a brotherly bond, and also a bond built on trust and common values – an ironclad friendship that was forged through historical twists and turns and has grown ever stronger over time. As the once-in-a-century transformations are unfolding faster across the world, a robust China-Pakistan relationship is vital for regional peace and development. President Xi stressed that China supports Pakistan in maintaining unity, focusing on development, and enhancing national strength. China is ready to work with Pakistan to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 2.0 and upgrade the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, and step up cooperation in industries, agriculture, and mining, with the aim of boosting Pakistan’s home-grown capacity for development.

Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated China on the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and noted that the Communist Party of China’s pivotal role in the global struggle against fascism changed the course of history of both China and the world. The ironclad Pakistan-China friendship has taken root in the hearts of the over 200 million Pakistani people, and every generation will remember China’s selfless support. No force can shake this unbreakable bond. Under President Xi’s great leadership, China has achieved remarkable economic and social progress, lifted the Chinese people out of poverty, and improved the people’s well-being. At the same time, China also shares opportunities with fellow developing countries through Belt and Road cooperation, earning global acclaim and winning people’s hearts and minds. The Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi is of great significance for global peace, development, and stability. Pakistan fully supports and will actively promote this initiative.

Kim Jong Un’s first China visit in six years draws world attention

The top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un visited Beijing, September 2-4, to participate in the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. His first visit to China in six years drew extraordinary global attention, not least due to the high levels of protocol and hospitality extended by the Chinese side. Kim Jong Un joined Russian President Vladimir Putin in flanking Chinese President Xi Jinping on the rostrum of Tienanmen Square, denoting their status as the chief guests among 26 heads of state and government, as well as senior representatives of dozens of nations and international organisations. It was also the first occasion for Kim Jong Un to participate in this type of multilateral gathering of world leaders and the first time for a DPRK leader to review a military parade in China since founding President Kim Il Sung participated in the 1959 tenth anniversary celebrations of the founding of the People’s Republic.

Arriving in the afternoon of September 2, Kim Jong Un was greeted at Beijing Railway Station by Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and member of the Secretariat and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, Yin Yong, Mayor of Beijing, and other senior officials.

On the evening of September 4, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President Xi Jinping held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un.

Xi Jinping noted that China and the DPRK are good neighbours, good friends and good comrades who have shared weal and woe and helped each other in time of need. The friendship between China and the DPRK has a long history. Both countries are socialist countries led by communist parties, having common ideals, convictions and aspirations.

Xi Jinping extended congratulations on the (October 10) 80th anniversary of the founding of the WPK and stressed that China is going all out to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernisation, while the DPRK has kept making new progress in developing socialism. The CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, and stand ready to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations. No matter how the international landscape may evolve, this position will stay unchanged. China will continue to support the DPRK in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and opening new grounds in advancing the DPRK’s socialist cause. China will work with the DPRK to step up high-level exchanges and strategic communication, strengthen exchanges of experience in governance of Party and state affairs, deepen mutual understanding and friendship, promote closer interactions at all levels, and advance practical cooperation across the board.