CGTN: History Illuminates the Future

BEIJING, Aug. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — To mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (World War II), the documentary series The Unsung Ally will premiere on CGTN and various social media platforms on September 9. Each episode sheds new light on the historical significance and legacy of the Chinese People’s unwavering resistance against Japanese aggression. 

When World War II ended eight decades ago, it was celebrated as the triumph of good over evil. Yet the dominant Western narrative consistently downplays the significant contribution made by an ally whose great sacrifices helped secure that historical victory: China. The Unsung Ally finally sets the record straight.

Emmy Award-winning CGTN host Mike Walter journeys to Harbin’s Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by Japanese Army Unit 731 and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, exposing the atrocities committed by Japanese troops.

Starting in 1931, China actively resisted Japan’s advances in a 14-year-long war. According to incomplete statistics, the number of casualties among Chinese military and civilians is estimated to exceed a staggering 35 million — accounting for roughly one-third of the global conflict’s total casualties. Hans van de Ven, a historian from Cambridge University, rejects American-European claims that China did “nothing to defeat the Japanese.” He argues instead that China did a great deal — it “trapped Japan.”

In confronting the trauma of war and the weight of memory, how can we protect heritage? In search of answers, Mike retraces a journey of cultural rescue. In the 1930s, as Japanese forces advanced, treasures from the Palace Museum were moved from Beijing to China’s remote southwest in an odyssey that spanned several tumultuous years.

Eighty years have passed, yet the world once again finds itself at a crossroads. Collectively, we face many complex and interconnected challenges. Breaking technological barriers and dismantling digital inequality, China’s tech companies are committed to empowering ordinary people. They are forging a community with a shared future for humanity in fields like open-source AI, low-cost robotics, and precision agriculture.

The lessons of history remain as relevant now as they were all those years ago. Holding the torch of history to illuminate a way forward, China is eager to join hands with all forces that cherish peace and pursue progress — working toward a shared future for all.

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