By Randall Schriver
Beijing’s treatment of history should be scrutinized as well.
On September 3, political leaders in Beijing will convene a massive military parade to commemorate the victory of allied forces over Japan in World War II. What will be on display for the world to see, in addition to 10,000 Chinese troops and their modern military equipment, is the Chinese propaganda apparatus in full gear. What will be missing is a fully accurate depiction of the circumstances surrounding the Chinese victory – and we should be offended to the point of objecting. In fact, China’s distortion of history should not go unnoticed.
U.S. officials working on Asia have heard a lot about “history” this year from Chinese counterparts. It is understandable, given the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, that the Chinese would ask for some reflection on those events. And there is no doubt that most Chinese are sincere in wanting a full and accurate account of the actions of the Japanese Imperial Army during the war.
But Chinese interlocutors would have us believe that only the Japanese struggle with facing their past. The truth is that they are not alone; the worst offenders in distorting, re-writing, or in many cases nullifying history for political purposes are the Chinese themselves. This bears more scrutiny because these practices remain largely in effect and are extremely consequential today.
Read the full story at The Diplomat