China's Good War Hardcover

Rana Mitter's "China's Good War: How World War II Is Shaping a New Nationalism" meticulously explores how the People's Republic of China has dramatically reinterpreted its role in World War II, shifting from a narrative of victimization to one of heroic victory. This crucial reassessment, encouraged since the Deng Xiaoping era and intensified under Xi Jinping, is central to China's newfound confidence on the global stage and its escalating domestic nationalism. Mitter delves into how academics, popular culture—including museums, films, and social media—and government initiatives have reshaped collective memory, positioning China as a key player in the defeat of fascism and a protector of the post-1945 international order, ultimately forming a new founding myth for an ascendant nation.