As the world prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 2025, French scholar Alan Labat is drawing attention to China’s underrecognized contributions during World War II. Labat, Vice President of the New Franco-Chinese Institute, shared visceral recollections of visiting Harbin’s Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army – an experience he describes as transformative.
"Even after visiting Nazi concentration camps in Europe, nothing prepared us for the horrors documented here," Labat stated, emphasizing the psychological toll of witnessing evidence of Japan’s biological warfare experiments. His comments underscore a growing academic push to reframe WWII narratives to fully acknowledge Asia’s 14-year conflict.
While praising European efforts to memorialize their history, Labat stressed that "the sacrifices of 35 million Chinese military and civilian casualties deserve equal global recognition." The scholar’s advocacy aligns with renewed diplomatic efforts to position China’s anti-fascist struggle as integral to the Allied victory.
This perspective gains urgency as nations prepare joint commemorations for 2025’s milestone anniversary, with historians calling for more inclusive remembrance of WWII’s truly global dimensions.
