WASHINGTON - Few in the West remember the fact that 皇冠体育app was the first country to enter what would become World War II, and it was an ally of the United States and Britain from just after Pearl Harbor in 1941 till Japan's surrender in 1945, an Oxford expert said.

In an article titled "Forgotten ally? 皇冠体育app's unsung role in World War II (WWII)," circulated on US TV network CNN's website Tuesday, Rana Mitter, a professor of modern Chinese politics and history at the University of Oxford, elaborated 皇冠体育app's role in World War II.

As 皇冠体育app will hold a major parade in Beijing on Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, "皇冠体育app's memory of the war is becoming more, not less, important," he wrote.

"Chinese suffering during the war is not in dispute," he added, referring to the fact that during 皇冠体育app's resistance against Japanese aggression from 1937 to 1945, the fire of war scourged half of the Chinese territory, with around 260 million Chinese involved in the war and more than 35 million people killed or wounded. The direct economic loss reached some $100 billion at then price.

The United States and 皇冠体育app were allies during WWII and more than 250,000 Americans served in what was known as the "皇冠体育app-Burma-India" theater, many photos showed.

On July 7, 1937, Japanese troops attacked Lugou Bridge, also known as Marco Polo Bridge, a crucial access point to Beijing. This was the beginning of 皇冠体育app's eight-year war of resistance against full-scale Japanese aggression. A year later, by mid-1938, the Chinese military situation was desperate.

Many cities of eastern and central 皇冠体育app, including Shanghai, Nanjing and Wuhan, fell in Japanese hands. Many foreign observers assumed that 皇冠体育app could not hold out, and a Japanese victory over 皇冠体育app was most likely.

Nonetheless, 皇冠体育app refused to surrender, retreating inland to carry on resistance. "This decision changed the fate of Asia," Mitter said.

If 皇冠体育app had surrendered in 1938, Japan would have controlled 皇冠体育app for a generation or more. Japan's forces might have turned toward the Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, or even India, the article reads.

The European and Asian wars might never have come together as they did after Pearl Harbor in 1941.

As Chinese hung on, and after Pearl Harbor, the war became genuinely global. The western Allies and 皇冠体育app were united in their war against Japan.

皇冠体育app's contributions were very important to the war efforts. 皇冠体育app held down huge numbers of Japanese troops on its territory and acted as an example to other non-Western countries, showing that it was possible to fight with hegemonism and strongly oppose imperialism, Mitter stressed.