Xiao Chunbai: Inheriting and Promoting the Great Spirit of Resistance Against Aggression in the New Era
Recently, the film The Nanjing Photo Studio has used small frames of film to reproduce the broad history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Through a delicate narrative that touches the heart, it presents the blood-soaked glory of the Chinese nation and showcases the Chinese people’s national mettle and the radiance of their humanity, eliciting empathy and resonance among audiences at home and abroad. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Looking back at the war, although those tragic and magnificent years have receded, the Great War of Resistance Spirit has not faded; rather, it inspires us to forge ahead with a new collective memory and historical resonance.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to tell the stories of the War of Resistance well and to pass down the Great War of Resistance Spirit from generation to generation. This spirit crystallizes the loyal blood and soul of revolutionary forebears, condenses the essence of the national and revolutionary spirit, and writes a magnificent epic of "unity as firm as a fortress" [1] and "momentum that swallows the mountains and rivers." It serves as an inexhaustible driving force for linking the past and the future in the New Era. The word "Great" in the Great War of Resistance Spirit carries profound connotations. This greatness is manifested, first and foremost, in great sacrifice and great character. The martyrs of the resistance regarded death as a homecoming [2] and preferred death over surrender, defying brute force and fighting to the bitter end—as the saying goes, "I offer my blood to Xuanyuan" [3]. China suffered more than 35 million casualties to achieve the first complete victory against foreign invasion in modern Chinese history. The War of Resistance was a struggle for justice, an unyielding fight, and a people’s war; in this trial of blood and fire, the Great War of Resistance Spirit of the Chinese Communists was forged. Today, in building a modern world power, we still cannot do without great patriotic sentiment, national integrity, heroic mettle, and the conviction of certain victory.
The Great War of Resistance Spirit contains cultural confidence and represents the perfect integration of traditional culture and revolutionary culture. Since ancient times, China has been a land of harmony [4], believing in "stopping conflict through military force" [5] and "attaining the ultimate goodness" [6]—knowing that only the ability to fight can stop a war. The victory of the resistance was, in essence, a victory of justice and a victory of unity. The concepts of "every common man shares responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation" [7], regarding death as a homecoming, refusing to yield, defying brute force, and showing indomitable perseverance represent a deep fusion of national integrity with the character of Party members; they are a concentrated expression of both "mettled courage" (血性) and "Party nature" (党性) [8]. These cultural genes span time, space, and class, consolidating the backbone and confidence of the Chinese people, serving as a deeper and more lasting form of self-confidence.
The Great War of Resistance Spirit is akin to a "telescope," containing far-reaching and profound historical thinking. It offers insight into the historical laws that "he who loves war will perish, and he who forgets war will be in peril," alongside the patriotic sentiment of "the nation is broken, yet the mountains and rivers remain; the city turns to spring, overgrown with grass and trees" [9]. This helps us better grasp where we came from and where we are going. Although the unprecedented suffering of those years is gone, we must not forget that period of calamitous history, nor can we abandon the fine traditions and styles of work formed during the war. We must not ignore historical lessons but should draw historical wisdom from them, enhance our historical initiative, and traverse the "Three Gorges of History" [10] toward the path of Chinese modernization.
The Great War of Resistance Spirit crystallizes the outstanding leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Facing a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and the brutal aggression of Japanese militarism, the CPC integrated a fragmented and disjointed society, organized the masses, and used "flesh and blood" to build a "New Great Wall" against the Japanese invaders. The War of Resistance was not only arduous but also complex, requiring superb leadership wisdom to handle various complicated contradictions. The CPC scientifically grasped the dialectics of the war, correctly handling the relations between "the enemy, ourselves, and our friends": developing progressive forces, winning over middle-of-the-road forces, and isolating opposition forces. It creatively established the Anti-Japanese National United Front, created "Three-Thirds System" [11] democratic governments, turned passivity into initiative, transformed spirit into matter, and turned crises into opportunities. With the rear-area battlegrounds and the frontal battlefields echoing each other, the militia coordinating with the main forces, and guerrilla warfare organically combined with mobile warfare, the degree of integration between the war effort, the united front, and protracted warfare reached unprecedented heights. The patriotic consciousness and organizational concept of the masses were awakened like never before, and the CPC’s role as the "mainstay" (中流砥柱) was fully realized. Currently, our country is in a critical period for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; we must continue to exert the CPC’s role as the core of leadership, vigorously inheriting and carrying forward the Great War of Resistance Spirit as we proceed on the "new journey of the exam" [12] in the New Era.
We must strengthen foundational construction to enhance the sustainability of this inheritance. Modern technology should be used to rescue, excavate, restore, and protect original physical evidence and war sites. For instance, modern biotechnology can be used to locate and protect the cenotaphs, cemeteries, and remains of resistance soldiers, while systematically exhibiting the deeds of heroic martyrs on a large scale. Artificial intelligence can be employed to restore war ruins, simulate major victories, and perfect historical maps and imagery. By establishing a comprehensive digital library of resistance materials and making full use of family letters, oral histories, and veteran interviews, we can use a "psychological history" of the war to present its arduousness and complexity in depth. This will concretely showcase the brilliance of Party nature and the value of humanity, internalizing political identity into emotional identity. We should coordinate the planning of resistance-themed routes and venue construction, reinforcing the use of new media and technology to turn educational sites into "spiritual magnetic fields" that move the heart, allowing audiences to "dialogue" with history through immersive experiences.
Finally, we must deepen institutional construction to ensure the effectiveness of this inheritance. Primary and secondary schools, vocational schools, and higher education institutions can deepen the integration of the Great War of Resistance Spirit into textbooks and classrooms, telling stories of the resistance in a way that is grounded in daily life and humanistic values. Film, television, and literary creations on resistance themes must be standardized to reflect historical facts accurately—without deifying, belittling, or stigmatizing figures—so that history is credible, respectable, and worthy of study. We must increase the legal protection of heroes and martyrs, improve regulations for protecting war sites and "Red Resources" [13], and ensure that the Great War of Resistance Spirit is passed down according to law and regulation, taking root in the heart and enduring over the long term.
(Author: Xiao Chunbai, Professor at the Department of Party History and Construction, Hangzhou Municipal Party School; Specially Invited Researcher, National Party Building Research Association)
Source: Guangming Daily, August 27, 2025, Page 2