Chinese movie mocked for distorting Mao Zedong’s role in second world war

Social media users blasted a new Chinese film for depicting a summit of world leaders during the second world war which embellished history by portraying revolutionary leader Mao Zedong as vital to a conference he never attended.

Cairo Declaration, an upcoming war film produced by a company affiliated with China’s military, is part of a host of government-directed events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender.

The US, Britain and China met in Cairo in November 1943 to map out a post-war path for Asia, during which they decided that territories ceded to Japan before the war should be returned to China.

But the film’s trailer and poster have faced a backlash on social media and state media, with internet users pointing out Mao played no major role at the conference.

China, then known as the Republic of China, was instead represented by Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, who went on to lose China’s civil war to Mao’s Communist forces.

“I’m sad that my contributions at the Cairo Conference haven’t been recognised in the film,” joked one internet user.

Others were more jaded.