BEIJING, Aug. 13 -- China has stressed the key role of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in winning the war against Japanese aggression, while also recognizing the Kuomintang Party's role.

"Victory in the war was a result of the efforts of the whole nation, and it can't be enjoyed alone by any single political force," said Gao Yongzhong, deputy head of the Party history research office under the CPC Central Committee, at a press conference organized by the State Council on Thursday.

The CPC played a "mainstay role" in the war, while the Kuomintang played an "important role," Gao said.

The CPC was the first of the two parties to fight the invading Japanese, organizing and guiding a national resistance. But the Kuomintang also launched a series of frontline battles and a large number of senior Kuomintang soldiers lost their lives, he said.