Conflict with Japan & participation in WWII

With respect to China's role in WWII, about 40,000 Chinese soldiers fight alongside the British and Americans, holding down 800,000 Japanese soldiers but suffering around 14 million casualties. When the Allies won in 1945, China was only given a permanent seat on the Security Council of the new United Nations. This information among others was extracted from a Newspaper Article from the CNN from Rana Mitter: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42459821. [6]

While China suffers its internal problems, uneffective control over the military and the effect of the Great Depression of 1930s lead to a rise of the military in Japan as well as their imperialistic objectives. As a result, Japan occupies Manchuria in 1931 and goes on to invade China in 1937, remaining there until WWII ends in 1945. One of the most significant events is the takeover of the capital city of Nanking, establishing a reign of terror until 1945 called the "Rape of Nanking".

Tension between China and Japan reaches its peak with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. There, the  Chinese Army opens fire on the Japanese Army and attacks them on the Marco Polo Bridge, causing the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45). During the conflict, China fought with the aid of the Soviet Union and the USA, being considered the largest Asian War in the 20th century. During the course of the War Japan conquers other Asian Nations but is finally defeated in China.