Scholars from multiple countries have stressed China's immense sacrifices and contributions to the victory over fascism in World War II (WWII) which deserve greater international recognition, and called for broader awareness of this chapter of history.

During the World Anti-Fascist War, China tied down and fought the bulk of Japan's forces, eliminating more than 1.5 million enemy troops and preventing Japan from allocating more troops to the Pacific theater.

China suffered a total of 35 million military and civilian casualties, accounting for a third of the total casualties of all the countries in World War II.

Christian Lubcke, a German military historian, pointed out that the common timeline of the WWII can be incomplete for people in Europe.

"In Europe, we say that World War II began on Sept 1, 1939, but it is only part of the truth. But at that time, China had already been fighting against Japanese aggression for years and had paid a heavy price. But in European historical writing, this fact is often lightly touched. And that situation has to change," said Lubcke.

"China played in many ways a very central role in World War II. The reason I want to stress that is that in the wider Western world, we tend to think of the big three, United States of America, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, all of which were absolutely key actors in the ultimate ally victory over the Nazis and Japan, but China also played a very, very central role in terms of the overall strategy," said Rana Mitter, a historian and the ST Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School.

William Castillo, deputy minister of Anti-Blockade Policies of Venezuelan Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Foreign Trade, stressed the enduring historical significance of China's struggle.

"As the Chinese people themselves have said, this was a long and bitter fight, one that culminated in a remarkable victory. It is essential for people around the world to understand the scale of the sacrifices and efforts made by the Chinese people, and what that victory means to the history of all mankind," said Castillo.

Source: CCTV+