Abstract
Exploring the construction and maintenance of Nationalist Chinese soldiers' graves overseas, this article sheds light on post-World War II commemorative politics. After having fought for the Allies against Japanese aggression in the China-Burma-India Theater, the Chinese expeditionary troops sporadically received posthumous care from Chinese veterans and diaspora groups. In the Southeast Asia Theater, the Chinese soldiers imprisoned in the Japanese-run camps in Rabaul were denied burial in the Allied war cemetery and recognition as military heroes. Analyzing archival documents from China, Taiwan, Britain, Australia, and the United States, I demonstrate how the afterlife of Chinese servicemen under foreign sovereignties mattered in the making of the modern Chinese state and its international status.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 52-99 |
Number of pages | 48 |
Journal | Journal of Chinese Military History |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
Keywords
- Burma
- China
- commemoration
- India
- military cemetery
- Papua New Guinea
- war dead
- World War II
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cultural Studies
- History