Into Asia
Hosted by journalist Chang Che and editor Ian Buruma, Into Asia explores how China, Japan, and Korea are reshaping the world. From memory politics to AI and demographic decline, they connect history and current affairs to reveal the new role Asia will play in the twenty-first century.
Into Asia
How China Remembers World War II
In September, China staged a boisterous military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of World War II. The spectacle is part of a broader campaign in recent years, from museums openings, movies, and memorials, to elevate its role in what it calls the “victory over fascism.”
How accurate is China’s official narrative of WWII — and what political purpose does it serve? How does it differ from the way Japan, the aggressor nation, or Europe and the U.S., the allies, remember the war?
Rana Mitter, historian and S.T. Lee Chair in U.S.–Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, joins us.
See also Face-Off with Jane Perlez and Rana Mitter: https://open.spotify.com/show/1XnPbxcS20PCgamDoEmEba