Act of Surrender - China Theatre

9 September 1945

The formal Japanese surrender in the China Theatre took place in a simple 20 minute ceremony in the auditorium of the Central Military Academy in Nanking at 09:00 on 9 September 1945. General Ho Ying-chen, Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army, and Lieut. Gen. Okamura Yasutsugu, Commander of the Japanese Forces in Central China, represented their respective governments. Immediately following the signing of the Act of Surrender, General Ho handed Order No. 1 of Generalissimo Chiang to Lieut. Gen. Okamura as a supplement to the Act of Surrender.

ACT OF SURRENDER

The Emperor of Japan, the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, having recognized the complete military defeat of the Japanese military forces by the Allied forces and having surrendered unconditionally to the Supreme Commander for the Allied powers, having directed by his general order no.1 that the senior commanders and all ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces within China (excluding Manchuria), Formosa and French Indo-China north of 16 degrees north latitude shall surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.

We, the Japanese Commanders of all Japanese forces and auxiliaries in the areas named above, also recognizing the complete military defeat of the Japanese military forces by the Allied forces, hereby surrender unconditionally all of the forces under our command to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.   All the Japanese forces hereby surrendered will cease hostilities and will remain at the stations they now occupy.  They are now non-combatant troops and in due course will be demobilized. They will assemble, preserve without damage, and turn over to the forces specified by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, all arms, ammunition, equipment, supplies, records, information and other assets of any kind belonging to the Japanese forces.  Pending specific instructions, all Japanese aircraft, naval units, and merchant ships in the areas named above will be held without damage where they are at present located.

All the Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control in the areas named above will be liberated at once and the Japanese forces will provide protection, care, maintenance, and transportation to places as directed.

Henceforth, all the Japanese forces, hereby surrendered, will be subject to the control of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.  Their movements and activities will be dictated by him, and they will obey only the orders and proclamations issued, or authorised, by him, or the orders of their Japanese commanders based upon his instructions.

This act of surrender and all subsequent orders and proclamations of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to the surrender forces will be issued at once to the appropriate subordinate commanders and forces and it will be the responsibility of all Japanese commanders and forces to see that such proclamations and orders are immediately and completely complied with.

For any failure or delay, by any member of the forces surrendered hereby to act in accordance with this act of surrender or future orders or proclamations of the Generalissimo, he will summarily and drastically punish both the violator and his responsible commanders.

[signatures not reproduced]