China made great contributions to the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, emphasized Bruno Guigue, a French scholar on international affairs, pointing to the enduring and courageous resistance of the Chinese people against Japanese aggression.
China has staged a series of commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, including a grand military parade in Beijing on Wednesday attended by dozens of heads of state and government representatives.
In Western accounts of World War II, the spotlight often falls on pivotal moments in the European and Pacific theaters. Yet on the main battlefield in the East, the Chinese people began their resistance as early as 1931, enduring a grueling 14-year struggle against fascism and imperialism that claimed over 35 million lives.
In an interview with China Radio International (CRI), Bruno Guigue said that historical facts show that China was the first country in the world to suffer from fascist invasion.
"In 1931, Japan initiated a large-scale ground invasion of China, taking control of the northeastern region. It is clear that the Second World War began in Asia due to Japan's aggression against China. In fact, it truly started in China. Any historical narrative that tries to downplay this truth is fundamentally misleading and has always been so," said Guigue.
"China was the first country in the world to suffer from fascist aggression and the first victim of such invasion globally. It was the resistance of the Chinese people that truly set the stage for defeating the Japanese invaders. This struggle was also a key factor in the downfall of Japanese militarism in August 1945," he said.
Guigue believed that the persistent and hard-fought resistance of the Chinese people against Japanese aggression made a tremendous and decisive contribution to the final victory in the global fight against fascism.
"It's essential to highlight that from 1931 to 1941, especially between 1937 and 1941, China fought alone against Japan's aggressive movements. Through unwavering and determined resistance, China effectively countered Japanese militarism. This struggle made a crucial contribution to the eventual defeat of the Axis powers," said Guigue.
French scholar on China's contributions to victory over fascism
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
