'China's anti-Japanese war vital in global struggle against fascism'

The Chinese people's war of resistance against the Japanese played a key role in the global war against fascism, a South Korean historian has said.

"China's resistance against the Japanese army had utterly crushed the Japanese militarism's scheme to enslave other Asian countries, saving lives of millions of people and safeguarding the regional peace," Xinhua quoted Kim Ji-hwan, professor at the Incheon national university.

Kim has studied the Chinese history of the period of anti-Japanese war for years, mainly focusing on the wartime economic scheme.

China joined the anti-fascist united front with the US, the then Soviet Union, France and other countries to achieve the final victory during the World War-II.

"We cannot achieve victory in the global war against fascism without sacrifices of the Chinese people. The Chinese people had showed their strongest desire for peace and won freedom and sovereignty through victory of the war," said Kim.

"The Communist Party of China (CPC) played an active role in fighting against the Japanese fascist. Comparing with those at the frontline, the battles behind enemy lines led by the CPC was equally important," said Kim.

Kim said the Korean people also cooperated with Chinese to defeat the Japanese invasion. Ever since the provisional government of the Republic of Korea was established in 1919, it has received support from the Chinese people and the government.

The South Korean historian also called for his country and China to strengthen joint research on the anti-Japanese war as they shared pains caused by the Japanese invasion and had fought the Japanese aggression together in history.

"As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War Two, I wish China and South Korea would form a new anti-fascist alliance in the field of historical research just as what they had done together during the anti-Japanese war."

Although the Asian people achieved the victory of the anti-Japanese war, the flames of militarism in Japan still casts a pall over the regional security and peace.

"The right-wing forces keep whitewashing the Japanese history of aggression. The textbooks that downplay Japan's wartime crimes cannot help Japanese teenagers grasp the truth of the history," said Kim.

He said Chinese history institutions open more historical archives and records to South Korean researchers and the two sides promote closer cultural exchanges.

"A more systematic and in-depth joint study between the two neighbours will definitely help prevent Japan's right-wing forces from distorting history," said Kim.