119 SRES 523 IS: Expressing the opposition of the Senate to the Chinese Communist Party’s “stolen valor” historical revisionism with regard to Allied Victory in Asia, commemorating the contributions made by the Republic of China to Allied Victory, and acknowledging the postwar contributions of the Government of Japan to peace and stability in Asia.
U.S. Senate
2025-12-02
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
III
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 523
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 2, 2025
Mr. Sullivan submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the opposition of the Senate to the Chinese Communist Party’s “stolen valor” historical revisionism with regard to Allied Victory in Asia, commemorating the contributions made by the Republic of China to Allied Victory, and acknowledging the postwar contributions of the Government of Japan to peace and stability in Asia.
Whereas, on September 3, 2025, the Chinese Communist Party held an exercise in orchestrated propaganda in Beijing ostensibly commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of what it called the “Chinese People’s War against Japanese Aggression”, a theater of the “World Anti-Fascist War”, attended by heads of state or government from countries that included the Russian Federation, the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Cuba, and other totalitarian and authoritarian nations that the People’s Republic of China seeks to align with its vision of a future world order, or “Community of Common Destiny for Mankind”;
Whereas the claim by the Chinese Communist Party that forces under its command deserve primary credit for the victory of the Allies over the Empire of Japan in World War II is a historical revisionist claim that amounts to “stolen valor” at the expense of the Republic of China, the United States wartime ally, and the Armed Forces of the United States, which carried out the bulk of the fighting in the Pacific Theater;
Whereas the brunt of the war effort against the then-Empire of Japan in China was borne by the Republic of China and armed forces under the leadership of Chinese Nationalists (also known as the Kuomintang);
Whereas, even before the formal declaration of war between the United States and the Empire of Japan, former American servicemen formed the American Volunteer Group, known as the “Flying Tigers”, to assist the Republic of China in its war of resistance;
Whereas, following the entry of the United States into World War II, Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, the Allied commander for forces operating in the China-Burma-India Theater, and General Sun Li-jen, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, collaborated extensively in such theater;
Whereas the Chinese Communist Party and its forces did minimal fighting against the Empire of Japan relative to the Chinese Nationalist and United States forces, allowing the Armed Forces of the Republic of China to bear the brunt of the mainland fighting and casualties while building up military strength, with the support of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (commonly known as the “Soviet Union”), for the upcoming civil war the Chinese Communist Party intended to wage against the Government of the Republic of China, with the objective of bringing China under Communist control;
Whereas, in a 1939 report to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Chou En-lai (Zhou Enlai), a member of the Chinese Communist Party, acknowledged that of an estimated 1,000,000 casualties suffered in combat with the Empire of Japan through the summer of 1939, only three percent were Communist forces, conceding the leadership role of the Chinese Nationalist forces of the Republic of China;
Whereas the Soviet Union, which signed a non-aggression pact with Japan in April 1941, entered the Pacific Theater on August 9, 1945, six days before the de facto cessation of hostilities by the Empire of Japan, and continued military campaigns beyond August 15 in an effort to occupy as much territory and weaponry in Northeastern China and Manchuria for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party and obtain as much materiel and industrial equipment as possible for shipment back to the Soviet Union;
Whereas, on September 2, 1945, the Government of the Empire of Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender (referred to in this preamble as the Instrument) and affixed seals to it aboard the USS Missouri, bringing the War in the Pacific to an end;
Whereas, at the signing of the Instrument, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied Powers, the Republic of China, as a wartime ally of the United States, was represented by General Hsu Yung-ch’ang, and the United States was represented by Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz;
Whereas the Empire of Japan presented the Instrument to the Government of the Republic of China at its capital in Nanking on September 9, 1945, satisfying the requirement that a signed copy of the Instrument be formally conveyed;
Whereas, despite the Chinese Communist Party having entered into a United Front coalition with the Chinese Nationalists in 1937, the Chinese Communist Party restarted a civil war soon after the end of World War II, seeking to defeat the Chinese Nationalists and take control of mainland China;
Whereas, on November 3, 1946, Japan promulgated a new constitution, effective May 3, 1947, and became a partner for peace in East Asia;
Whereas, on September 8, 1951, Japan signed the Security Treaty Between the United States of America and Japan, which entered into force on April 28, 1952;
Whereas the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States of America and Japan (commonly known as the United States-Japan Security Treaty), done at Washington, January 19, 1960, allows for robust cooperation between Japan and the United States to preserve peace in Asia;
Whereas the Japan Self-Defense Forces are able to rapidly deploy a humanitarian disaster relief response;
Whereas Japan is a member of “the Quad” and other multilateral dialogues that emphasize the need to preserve freedom of navigation and peace in the Indo-Pacific in the face of the aggressive activities by the People's Republic of China threatening those principles;
Whereas the Republic of China, often referred to as the “Republic of China Taiwan”, endures today, and President Lai Ching-te in his public addresses has—
(1)
also invoked this name, recalling the pre-1945 history of the Republic of China and the contributions made by Chinese Nationalist soldiers and graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy; and
(2)
joined with other World War II allies of the Republic of China in commemoration of Victory in Europe; and
Whereas the Chinese Communist Party routinely employs propaganda and censorship to construct a distorted narrative about its past and present actions that are at odds with actual history: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
urges the United States Government, via public diplomacy and media outreach, to counter—
(A)
the historical revisionism and propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party, particularly with regard to the Allied Victory in World War II; and
(B)
the “stolen valor” narrative of the Chinese Communist Party, which seeks to downplay the role of the Republic of China and elevate that of the forces of the Chinese Communist Party;
(2)
calls upon the Secretary of State to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the United Nations and other international organizations to counter efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to distort history, including efforts to distort and disregard the actual text of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI);
(3)
exhorts the Secretary of Education and State and local school boards to ensure that history regarding allies of the United States during World War II is taught with historical accuracy and guards against propaganda narratives perpetuated by the Chinese Communist Party;
(4)
recognizes the wartime accomplishments of the Republic of China, the United States, and their allies;
(5)
commends the heroism and altruism of the American Volunteer Group;
(6)
recognizes the critical role played by Japan, along with the United States and Taiwan, and other likeminded allies and partners of the United States to preserve peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region; and
(7)
supports efforts by Taiwan, consistent with the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 (Public Law 116–135), in strengthening its official diplomatic relationships and other partnerships with countries around the world, as well as its participation in international organizations.