Rana Mitter is a Chinese history and politics professor at Oxford University, where he is also the director of the China Centre. He has written numerous books, including The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance and Collaboration in Modern China, A Bitter Revolution: China’s Struggle with the Modern World, and China’s War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival. His most recent book, China’s Good War: How World War II Is Shaping a New Nationalism, which was published this fall, traces the evolution of how China views its own role in World War II, and how that impacts Chinese nationalist narratives. In this lightly edited interview, we discussed the legacy of World War II in China, how that legacy impacts China’s territorial disputes, and the evolving nature of UK-Chinese relations.
Rana MitterIllustration by Kate Copeland
Q: What inspired your recent book and why is it important to study the influence of World War II on modern China?
A: I have been planning
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