As the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Anti-Japanese War approaches, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been intensively releasing dramas and documentaries to promote “remembering history and promoting national spirit.” Scholars have pointed out that these film and television works are actually political narrative tools used to strengthen nationalism and party history identity.
September 3, 2025, has been recognized by the CCP as the 80th anniversary of the “Victory Day of the War of Resistance Against Japan.” The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television of China and the China Central Radio and Television Station are currently intensively deploying promotional arrangements to coordinate with commemorative activities and related political ceremonies. According to the list of key drama releases announced by CCTV earlier, several works on the theme of the War of Resistance, such as “Our Rivers and Mountains” and “Return to the Frontline,” have recently been airing one after another. These are all typical examples of “main theme propaganda dramas.”
However, the academic community generally believes that during the eight years of comprehensive resistance against Japan, the National Revolutionary Army led by the Kuomintang government was the main force on the frontline, undertaking the majority of large-scale battles and casualties. The Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army led by the CCP were mainly engaged in guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. This fundamental historical fact is often downplayed or even replaced in official film and television narratives, leading to a distorted understanding of history.
In response to this, Dr. Liu Qiang, a Hong Kong scholar specializing in the history of the Republic of China, pointed out, “The CCP is accustomed to reshaping historical roles through media to position themselves as symbols of the victory in the War of Resistance. However, according to statistics from Chinese and foreign historical records, over ninety percent of the sacrifices on the front lines were made by soldiers of the National Army. The frequent re-broadcasting of dramas about the War of Resistance is not just selective commemoration of history but also an act of ‘reapportioning historical merits’.”
Recently, Xinhua News Agency reported from a positive perspective, stating that these dramas are “closely tied to the theme of the times, highlighting the standpoint of the people.” Through artistic representation of the process of resistance, the aim is to “promote the great spirit of the war of resistance, inspire patriotism, and enhance national cohesion.”
Mr. Cai, a research specialist in Chinese visual history based in Europe, stated in an interview with a reporter from Epoch Times on July 29 that Chinese war dramas have always served a political function, especially around significant commemorative events. He mentioned, “These dramas not only recount history repeatedly but also establish a highly unified national memory structure. Through these narratives, the authorities bind national suffering, sacrifices, and the legitimacy of the ruling party together, reinforcing the official ideology.”
He pointed out that war dramas are prioritized in the television system due to the significant political value they convey, which far outweighs their entertainment value. “They are not mere TV dramas but rather visual tools for the protection of CCP party history, nationalism, and regime legitimacy.”
Mr. Qi, a Chinese scholar of literature and history, expressed that from a content perspective, current war dramas have extremely limited creative space, showing a highly formulaic tendency. “The protagonists are always righteous, and the enemies are always one-dimensional. Such works are difficult to truly move people. I remember watching ‘Red Detachment of Women’ once, and students in the audience were whispering, ‘How can a group of armed people not defeat an unarmed female soldier? This is illogical.’ The so-called ‘remembering history’ is more of a political indoctrination.” He believes that by using the theme of the War of Resistance, the authorities not only avoid real issues but also attempt to unify value judgments, with audiences passively accepting a single version of history.
This year, the dramas officially re-broadcasted or released are mostly remakes of old works or guided by political censorship, such as “Heroes of Taihang” and “Roaring Yellow River,” emphasizing the framing of “the party leads the war, and the masses follow the party.”
In response to this, Mr. Jin, a writer from Jilin, commented that in recent years, Chinese film and television creation has been increasingly restricted under political censorship, pushing aside works that reflect social reality and explore universal values. He told Epoch Times, “Scripts promoting democracy, human rights, and religious freedom simply cannot pass censorship, while war-themed works that emphasize party leadership and national suffering can easily be aired. Some creators have even received explicit notices not to adapt traditional cultural themes to prevent interpretations that could be seen as mocking the authorities.”
He continued, “So-called main theme dramas are not artistic creations but political products. For decades, political correctness has stifled real creative vitality.”
On social media platforms, many viewers have expressed dissatisfaction with the repetitive production of war dramas. A netizen from Beijing commented, “The plots are repetitive, and you can tell the ending within ten minutes.” Another comment stated, “What is truly worth commemorating is not the victory but the fate of every ordinary person in the war.”
Since 2015, the Chinese government has designated September 3 of each year as the “Victory Day of the War of Resistance” and, subsequently, every year on this date, various war-themed film and television works and documentaries are routinely aired nationwide, gradually forming a “institutionalized commemorative model.” In 2025, being the “integral anniversary” year, the propaganda efforts are even more pervasive than in previous years.
Some analysts believe that by concentrating on releasing war dramas at this time, the CCP aims not only to create an atmosphere for commemorative activities but also to reshape the narrative of nationalism to maintain its ruling legitimacy amid economic downturn and lack of social confidence. In the coming weeks, Chinese audiences will be frequently exposed to these “memory engineering” visual works on various broadcasting platforms.