Professor Rana Mitter answers questions on the Legacy of World War II in Asia

Rana Mitter has answered questions on his latest book, 'China's War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival', in an article for the New York Times' blog 'Sinosphere' (10 July).

When asked 'What is it like for you as a historian who has focused on this period 60, 70 years ago to see the topics you’ve researched become headline stories today?', Rana replied:

"It’s very disconcerting in a way. If you’re a historian of World War II in Europe, then although the subject still remains of tremendous interest in schools and the wider public culture, I think most people would suggest it really is the past. I think most people would argue the likelihood of a general conflict in Europe today is pretty unthinkable.

While conflict still seems to me highly unlikely in the Asia-Pacific region, it’s notable that nonetheless events which might have seemed of passing interest to historians working on quite obscure topics do still have tremendous amounts of political significance in China and Japan today."

The full article can be read here: http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/10/q-and-a-rana-mitter-on-world-war-iis-legacy-in-asia/