Honouring the History of Resistance, Working Together for a Brighter Future

Ambassador Wu Peng

ON September 3, Beijing hosted a solemn ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote address and inspected the armed forces.

 80 years ago, the peace-loving people from all over the world stood in solidarity against our common enemy. We fought bravely and achieved a great victory in the anti-fascist war. This war was an unprecedented catastrophe in human history. It affected around 2 billion people in over 80 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania, and caused over 100 million casualties among military personnel and civilians.

The ultimate downfall of fascism is proof that justice always triumphs over evil, light always prevails over darkness, and progressive strength always wins against reactionary forces.

As the main Eastern battlefield during the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression began the earliest, lasted the longest, and saw the greatest sacrifices.

 From 1931 to 1945, China went through 14 years of hard struggles, with the total military and civilian casualties over 35 million and the direct and indirect economic losses nearly 600 billion US dollars. 

The Chinese people pinned down and resisted the main forces of Japanese militarism for an extended period, eliminating over 1.5 million Japanese troops, accounting for over 70 percent of the total casualties of Japanese forces during World War II. 

As we fought hard in the Asian battlefield, China provided strong support and assistance to Allied Forces on the European, African, and Pacific battlefields, making a significant contribution to the victory of the global anti-fascist war.

President Xi pointed out, “Might may rule the moment, but right prevails forever. Justice, light and progress will inevitably triumph over evil, darkness, and regression.”

We commemorate history not to advocate hatred and war, but to learn from history, awaken people’s aspirations for peace, and unite the powerful force of a shared commitment to and defense of peace.  

The victory of the World Anti-Fascist War laid the foundation for the post-war international order, which is the result of the collective efforts and sacrifices of all humanity and the cornerstone of world peace and stability we enjoy today.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. We are confident that there is only one international system, centered on the United Nations, and only one set of rules, based on the purposes and principles outlined in the United Nations Charter. 

I would like to emphasize that the return of Taiwan to China is an integral part of the outcomes of the victory in World War II and the post-war international order. 

A series of legally binding documents, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, all confirm that China has legally and factually recovered Taiwan, which was illegally occupied by Japan. 

80 years later, the one-China principle has become the universal consensus of the international community and a fundamental principle of international relations. We highly appreciate the South African government for its long-standing support and adherence to the One-China principle.

Eight decades on, the world remains unsettled. Rising unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonic ambitions, together with ongoing regional conflicts and flashpoints, mean that the shadow of war still lingers.

 President Xi emphasised: “Today, humanity once again faces a choice: peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, mutual benefit or zero-sum rivalry. The Chinese people will always stand on the right side of history, on the side of human progress, committed to peaceful development and ready to work with all nations to build a community with a shared future for mankind.”

China is the only major country in the world that has enshrined peaceful development in its constitution and the charter of its governing party, the Communist Party of China. For China, peaceful development is a matter of national will. 

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China has consistently pursued an independent foreign policy of peace, adhered to true multilateralism, firmly upheld the central role of the United Nations, and dedicated itself to promoting world peace and development.  

China and African nations share the identity of the Global South. With parallel historical struggles and the common task of modernization, China and South Africa cherish a relationship often described as being comrades and brothers. Our ties have now been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era.

In the face of an unstable world, we must unite all peace-loving nations worldwide, just as we did in the past when we stood shoulder to shoulder against fascism, to jointly uphold international fairness and justice, practice true multilateralism, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, to give new momentum to global peace and development. 

In November this year, South Africa will host the G20 Summit. China firmly supports South Africa’s G20 Presidency, and we look forward to a great and successful G20 Johannesburg Summit, making greater contributions to African peace and development and leaving a “Global South” imprint on global governance.

* Wu Peng is the People's Republic of China's Ambassador to South Africa.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.