On September 2, 1945 — 81 years ago today — Japan formally signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, bringing the deadliest conflict in human history to a close.

Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed on behalf of the Japanese government, while General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for the Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied nations, with representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands and New Zealand also present.

The ceremony took place less than a month after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan, precipitating Emperor Hirohito's announcement of surrender on August 15, 1945.

Under the instrument, Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, agreeing to cease hostilities, release prisoners of war, and submit to Allied occupation. The surrender formally ended World War II in Asia and the Pacific, following Germany's unconditional surrender in Europe on May 8 of the same year.

For China, the date marks the conclusion of the 14-year War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, a struggle that inflicted immense suffering and loss. The victory is remembered as a pivotal chapter in the defeat of fascism worldwide and in the restoration of peace and justice in the Asia-Pacific region.

Eighty-one years on, September 2 endures as a solemn reminder of the cost of war, the value of peace, and the shared responsibility of nations to build a stable international order and prevent the horrors of conflict from recurring.