Who represented China at the signing of Japan’s Instrument of Surrender?

General Hsu Yung-chang represented China at the signing of Japan’s Instrument of Surrender.

Hsu signed the document aboard USS Missouri after Douglas MacArthur and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz had signed. His signature represented the Republic of China, one of the Allied powers named in the surrender ceremony.

China had been at war with Japan since the Second Sino-Japanese War began in 1937, years before the wider Pacific War followed Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Chinese forces had fought a prolonged conflict against Japanese occupation and military expansion across East Asia.

Hsu’s appearance is sometimes confused with that of Chiang Kai-shek, China’s wartime leader, who did not personally attend the ceremony. The Chinese delegation’s participation reflected China’s status among the principal Allied powers opposing Japan.