Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Cyprus at the Reception Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War

3 September 2025

Earlier today, a grand commemorative ceremony was held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, expressing, on behalf of the Chinese people—and also of peace-loving, justice-upholding, and progress-pursuing nations and peoples around the world—a shared voice and powerful message of remembering history, honoring martyrs, cherishing peace, and creating a better future.

President Xi stressed that history cautions us that humanity shares weal and woe, and only when countries and nations treat each other as equals, live in harmony and support each other, can we uphold common security, remove the cause of war, and prevent a repeat of tragedy in history. Today, humanity is once again facing a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win or zero-sum game. The Chinese people stand firmly on the right side of history, and on the side of progress of human civilization. We are committed to the peaceful development path and stand ready to work together with people around the world to build a community with a shared future for humanity. －This is China’s solemn commitment to the world.

Eighty years ago, through bloody and arduous struggle, the people of the world achieved a great victory—defeating fascism, with justice triumphing over evil, light over darkness, and progress over reaction.

In the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression started the earliest and lasted the longest. With enormous national sacrifice, China supported the main Eastern battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War, making a historic contribution to the ultimate victory.

From the September 18th Incident engineered by Japan in 1931 to Japan’s unconditional surrender in 1945, all Chinese people—at home and abroad—stood in unity and rose to save the nation. Over 14 years of heroic resistance, with more than 35 million casualties of military officers and civilians, China thoroughly defeated Japanese fascism, writing a magnificent epic of struggle for national survival, rejuvenation, and human justice.

China’s victory was not achieved alone. The Chinese people received broad support from the international community. In this sense, the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was not only a triumph for China but also a triumph for all peace-loving people around the world.

Here, let us pay high tribute and deep respect to the martyrs who gave their lives for the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and for peace, justice, civilization, and progress of humanity!

History is a mirror, and the tragedies of the past must never be repeated. We must draw valuable lessons and inspiration from history.

Learning from history, we must cherish world peace. Eighty years ago, fascist aggressors brought unprecedented disasters to the world, wreaking havoc on human civilization. More than 80 countries and regions, involving nearly 2 billion people, were dragged into the war, and over 100 million lives were lost.

Today, we commemorate this victory, not to sustain hatred or provoke confrontation, but to preserve the truth of history, learn from its lessons, uphold a correct view of history, and awaken humanity’s enduring commitment to peace.

It needs to be stressed that among the world’s major countries, China has the best track record on peace and security. It is the only major country to have enshrined the path of peaceful development in its Constitution. It is the largest contributor of peacekeeping troops among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. No matter how strong China becomes, it will never seek hegemony, and never engage in aggression or expansion. Instead, it is ready to work hard with all nations to achieve lasting peace in the world.

Learning from history, we must uphold human progress. After the calamity of World War II, the common values of humanity, i.e. peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, have been deeply cherished and upheld. Together, the nations of the world established the United Nations and adopted the UN Charter, with China, as a victorious country, being the first to sign it.

The history written in blood and lives should never be forgotten. We must resolutely uphold the victorious outcomes of World War II and the common values of humanity. We must safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations rooted in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. With a strong commitment to true multilateralism, international fairness and justice, we will turn the Charter’s aspiration—“to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”—into reality.

It needs to be emphasized that the return of Taiwan to China 80 years ago is a critical part of the victory of World War II and the post-war international order. The Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation make it clear that Taiwan, which was stolen by Japan, must be returned to China. The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, recognizes the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan.

History cannot be erased—and will not be. Any attempt to distort history or glorify aggression will never be accepted by the Chinese people or by the people of the world.

Today, 183 countries—including Cyprus—have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. On matters involving national sovereignty and territorial integrity, China and Cyprus have firmly supported each other. This is the defining feature of the China-Cyprus strategic partnership and demonstrates a strong commitment to the basic norms of international relations.

Learning from history, we must believe that justice will prevail. A just cause enjoys abundant support. It unites the hearts of the people. Eighty years ago, faced with the brutal aggression of Japanese militarism, the Communist Party of China advocated and formed a national united front against the invaders.

During the epic course of the war, the Chinese people forged a profound and enduring spirit. This spirit embodies a deep sense of patriotism, where every individual feels responsible for the fate of the nation, a steadfast commitment to national integrity in the face of brutality, an unbreakable courage to fight on despite overwhelming odds, and an unshakable faith in ultimate victory through perseverance. This great spirit of resistance is a priceless legacy for the Chinese people, and it will continue to inspire generations to overcome all challenges and strive tirelessly for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the same time, the World Anti-Fascist War brought together the Allied nations in unity and mutual support. Peace-loving people around the world fought shoulder to shoulder, forming a powerful international united front against fascism and ultimately winning world peace through blood and sacrifice.

Looking back on the brutal war 80 years ago, we recall that the peoples of China and Europe supported each other in life and death, and created many touching stories:

  • In Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, Chinese fishermen risked their lives to rescue 384 British POWs from the sunken ship named Lisbon Maru;
  • Chinese diplomat He Fengshan issued thousands of visas to Jewish refugees, enabling them to escape to Shanghai;
  • Dr. Qian Xiuling saved Belgian resistance fighter Roger and over 90 hostages from the Nazis;
  • French doctor Jean Augustin Bussiere delivered critical medicines to China’s resistance base areas via routes dubbed “The Hump on bicycle”;
  • John Rabe from Germany and Bernhard Sindberg from Denmark tried every means to protect Chinese civilians during the Nanjing Massacre.

It is fair to say that the friendship between China and Europe was forged in blood on the anti-fascist battlefield. It remains strong and enduring to this day.

It is also worth mentioning that Cyprus made important contributions to the World Anti-Fascist War. More than 30,000 Cypriots joined the fight—accounting for roughly 10% of the island’s population.

This fully proves that the strength of justice does not depend on a country’s size or population. The cause of justice will always enjoy broad support and achieve ultimate victory!

Learning from history, we must work together to create a better future. The painful lessons of World War II remind us that humanity rise and fall together, and the law of the jungle and the arbitrary use of force are not the way to progress. Today, the international situation is increasingly complex, and global challenges emerge one after another. Humanity once again stands at a historic crossroads.

In response to the call of our times, President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. And following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), he presented the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the Tianjin Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The GGI stresses the importance of adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions, which meets the common aspirations of the international community.

In addition, China advocates solidarity, openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation. We are ready to work with the international community to pursue peace and development over conflict and confrontation, replace absolute security with common security, seek mutual benefit instead of zero-sum games, promote cultural exchange to prevent clashes between civilizations, and advance green development to protect our Planet. In this way, we will make greater contribution to global peace, development, and progress, and to the bright future of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The river of history flows on; the great victory is forever etched in memory. China and Cyprus are good friends, good brothers, and good partners with common principles and values. Let us firmly stand on the right side of history, uphold peace, foster cooperation, and strengthen unity. Together, hand in hand, we will open a brighter chapter in our bilateral relations and jointly create a better future for all humanity.