What date is observed as Victory over Japan Day in China?

Victory over Japan Day is observed in China on September 3.

The date follows the September 2, 1945 signing of Japan’s surrender instrument aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The Republic of China government ordered nationwide celebrations on the day after the formal signing, making September 3 the Chinese observance of victory over Japan.

The date is connected especially with the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had begun in 1937 and became part of the wider World War II conflict in Asia. Chinese commemorations therefore emphasize both Japan’s defeat and the conclusion of years of war in China.

Different countries use different dates for V-J observances. August 15 marks Hirohito’s surrender announcement in Japan and much of the British Commonwealth, while September 2 marks the formal signing. September 3 in China is not a contradiction; it reflects the date chosen for the national commemoration after the legal ceremony.