Free China (Second Sino-Japanese War)
| Free China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The extent of Japanese control of China as of 1940. The area in white constitutes "Free China". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中華民國自由地區 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 中华民国自由地区 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Free Area of the Republic of China (full form used only occasionally) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國統區 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国统区 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Kuomintang-controlled area | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The term Free China, in the context of the Second Sino-Japanese War, refers to those areas of China not under the control of the Imperial Japanese Army or any of its puppet governments, such as Manchukuo, the Mengjiang government in Suiyuan and Chahar, or the Provisional Government of the Republic of China in Beiping. The term came into more frequent use after the Battle of Nanking, when Chiang Kai-shek evacuated the government of the Republic of China to Chungking (modern Chongqing). It was also sometimes referred to as the Chungking Government or simply "Chungking," such as in the surrender speech of Hirohito to the Japanese military.