China's local counter-attacks (11)

In response to the international situation and the situation on the battlefield since 1944, the anti-Japanese forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) fought in the enemy’s rear areas such as North China, Central China and South China to support Nationalist Chinese Army on the front line battlefield and enlarged the anti-Japanese revolutionary bases. These forces started to use mobile warfare as the basic form and made preparations for the massive counter-attacks against Japanese army. On January 1, 1944, the Central Committee of the CPC said in the New Year’s message that with the efforts made by the army and people in the enemy’s rear area, China was able to be recognized as one of the major powers on par with the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain. On April 12, 1944, Mao Zedong gave a report and said that the CPC should be prepared to throw Japanese army out of China. In 1944, the anti-Japanese forces led by the CPC fought over more than 20 thousand battles, annihilated 200 thousand Japanese and puppet troops, liberated some twenty counties and saved more than 17 million people from the yoke of Japan’s rule. These forces continued their fight against Japanese army until the summer of 1945. Chinese army made huge sacrifices in the fight against Japanese army on the front line battlefield and retook lost ground. All these counter-attacks dealt the Japanese army heavy blows and speeded up Japan’s defeat.