China’s Parade Rewrites WWII History — Undermining Taiwan’s Voice and America’s Interests
China is preparing a massive September 3rd parade to mark the so-called “80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan.” On the surface, Beijing frames the event as a solemn commemoration of sacrifice. In reality, it is part of a long-running campaign to rewrite history, elevate the Chinese Communist Party as the supposed architect of victory, and erase the real contributions of the Republic of China’s National Government .
During World War II, it was the Republic of China’s National Government and its armed forces who bore the brunt of Japan’s invasion. From the Battle of Shanghai to Changde, millions of Chinese soldiers fought and died under the National Government’s banner. The Chinese Communist Party, by contrast, remained on the margins, focusing more on consolidating control in its base areas than on fighting the Japanese directly.
Yet today, Beijing’s propaganda tells a different story. At the 2015 military parade, official films all but erased the role of the National Government, portraying the CCP as the “true leader of victory.” In recent years, Chinese textbooks have doubled down, crediting the Party with defeating Japan while sidelining the immense sacrifices made by National Government troops.
This is not simply academic revisionism. It is a deliberate strategy to reshape global understanding of WWII, presenting the CCP as the rightful inheritor of China’s wartime legacy — and by extension, the only legitimate representative of “China” in the international arena.
The distortion of history has direct consequences for Taiwan. The Republic of China’s National Government was the internationally recognized authority that signed the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations and accepted Japan’s surrender in 1945. By rewriting the past, Beijing seeks to strip Taiwan of its historical legitimacy, diminishing its visibility on the world stage.
In short, every time the CCP holds a military parade framed as “the victory over Japan,” it is not just a domestic political performance. It is also an information war — one that undermines Taiwan’s rightful place in the narrative of WWII and in the international community.
This year’s parade is expected to feature hundreds of new tanks, advanced fighters, hypersonic missiles, drones, and electronic warfare systems. Officials tout these as proof of China’s “modernized military power.” But the deeper purpose is not simply intimidation through weapons — it is to export a narrative: that the CCP alone defended China’s sovereignty in WWII.
For Taiwan, this narrative war is existential. If international audiences internalize the myth that the CCP was the decisive force in defeating Japan, then Taiwan’s historical and political legitimacy erodes by default. Beijing understands this — which is why it invests so heavily in both parades and propaganda.
For Americans, the lesson is clear. China’s parades are not just shows of force; they are instruments of strategic disinformation. By monopolizing the story of WWII, Beijing not only inflates its global image but also chips away at Taiwan’s standing, thereby destabilizing the democratic order in Asia.
If Washington and its allies ignore this narrative battle, they risk ceding the information domain to Beijing. Military deterrence is important, but so is safeguarding historical truth. Allowing the CCP to monopolize the story of WWII means allowing it to reshape the foundations of legitimacy in Asia — with direct implications for America’s security commitments in the Indo-Pacific.
The September 3rd parade is more than a military spectacle. It is a political weapon aimed at rewriting history, marginalizing Taiwan, and legitimizing CCP rule. By erasing the sacrifices of the Republic of China’s National Government, Beijing seeks to dominate not only the battlefield of perception but also the strategic balance of the Indo-Pacific.
For the United States and other democracies, vigilance is essential. The fight is not only about tanks and missiles — it is about truth, history, and the legitimacy of free nations.
