Prepare for the Battle for the Past in Advance of the Beijing Summit

When President Donald Trump finally makes it to Beijing for his state visit and summit with People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping, he could very well find himself receiving history lectures from his hosts. These excursions into the past, focused especially on Beijing’s interpretation of the Second World War, will be used to attempt to “educate” the US president and his team on two issues: Taiwan, which, along with trade and investment issues, is at the top of Beijing’s summit list, and PRC concerns about US ally Japan. If the US team wishes to ready itself for the battle for the past, it will need to keep in mind some important background and context.