China releasing World War II movies to remind Japan of its defeat in 1945

China is releasing a serie of war historic movies to mark the 60th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.

The films include a cartoon version of 1963's "Little Soldier Zhangga," a film about a teenage guerrilla fighter, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.

The releases come amid a series of official events to mark the Aug. 15 anniversary of the Japanese surrender in 1945.

"We hope that the productions will provide new perspectives for China's anti-fascist history in which the Chinese people play a very important role," Tong Gang, a senior official of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, was quoted as saying.

According to Xinhua, other titles include "My Mother Zhao Yiman," about a son's memory of his mother; "On Mt. Taihang," about soldiers led by communist Gen. Zhu De; and a documentary titled "For the Victory."

The films will shown until October, the AP reports.

China and Japan are linked by multibillion-dollar trade ties, but Japanese wartime aggression is still an emotional issue for many Chinese, who think Tokyo has never properly atoned for its offenses.

The communist government keeps such sentiments alive through frequent mentions of wartime history in schoolbooks and state media.

More recently, ties between Beijing and Tokyo have been strained by Japan's campaign for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat, rivalry over energy resources and new Japanese schoolbooks that critics say downplay wartime atrocities.

"The memory of the Japanese aggression and savaging of China still haunts Chinese society," Xinhua said.