Head of the press center for the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War Shou Xiaoli: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the first press conference hosted by the Press Center for the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

According to the planned arrangements, on the morning of September 3, the gathering of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, including a military parade, will be hosted at Tiananmen Square, Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping will deliver an important speech. At noon, a reception will be held in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping will make important remarks. On the evening of that day, a gala will be held in Beijing, which is to be attended by Party and state leaders. Details of relevant arrangements were released at previous press briefings.

Today we are pleased to have Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Hong Lei, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Lu Yingchuan, Deputy Director of the Leading Group Office of Military Parade and Deputy Director-General of the Operations Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission Major General Wu Zeke, and Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing Xia Linmao with us to update you on the latest progress of preparations for the commemoration events and take your questions. Now let me first give the floor to Mr. Hong Lei.

Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei: Thank you. Friends from the media, good morning. In a few days, we will hold a grand Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Eighty years ago, the Chinese people, after 14 years of tenacious struggle, shedding blood and sacrificing lives, won the great victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and declared the complete victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

China’s War of Resistance started the earliest and lasted the longest. China held the ground in the main eastern battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War with enormous national sacrifice. China’s War of Resistance is an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War and China made historic contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. China has received extensive support from the international community for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The victory of the war of resistance is a victory for the Chinese people. It is also a victory for the people of the world.

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, 26 foreign heads of state and government will attend the Commemoration. They are:

President of Russia Vladimir Putin, General Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK Kim Jong Un, King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni, President of Viet Nam Luong Cuong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukshenko, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan, President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou, President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, and Acting President of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing. 

At the invitation of the Chinese government, the speakers, deputy prime ministers and high-level representatives from other countries, the heads of international and regional organizations and the former statesmen will also attend the Commemoration. The speakers and deputy prime ministers include Speaker of the National Assembly of the ROK Woo Won-Shik, Speaker of the National Parliament of Timor Leste Maria Fernanda Lay, President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Jorge Rodriguez Gómez, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Gan Kim Yong, Special Envoy of the President of Egypt and Deputy Prime Minister Kamel Al-Wazir, Chairman of the Bulgaria Socialist Party and Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria Atanas Zafirov.

The high-level representatives include Chief Adviser to the Brazilian President Celso Amorim, Representative of the Brazilian Government and Ambassador to China Marcos Galvao, Representative of the Nicaraguan Government and President’s Adviser Laureano Ortega Murillo, Representative of the Hungarian Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Major General Haszaimi, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Representative of Interim Government of Bangladesh and National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Minister of War Veterans and Rights Holders of Algeria Laid Rebiga and member of the European Parliament Ondřej Dostál.

The heads of international and regional organizations include Under Secretary General of the U.N. Li Junhua, Director General of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization Qu Dongyu, President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev, Executive Committee Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Ularbek Zarlykovich Sharsheev, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia Kairat Sarybay, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Imangali Tasmagambetov, and Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

The former statesmen include former Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama, former President of the Swiss Federation and Minister of Finance Ulrich Maurer, former Prime Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Italy Massimo D’Alema, former Prime Ministers of Romania Adrian Năstase and Viorica Dăncilă, former Prime Ministers of New Zealand Helen Clark and John Key, former Foreign Minister of Australia Robert Carr, and former Premier of the Victoria State of Australia Daniel Andrews. The foreign diplomatic envoys in China, the military attaches and the representatives of international organizations in China will also attend the Commemoration upon invitation. 

We have specially extended invitation to the international friends who have contributed to the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression or their families. Altogether 50 international friends or their families from 14 countries, including Russia, the U.S., the U.K., France and Canada will attend the celebration. During the tenacious struggle, the international friends of different skin colors, different nations and different nationalities traveled a long distance to China and fought side by side with the Chinese people. They have forged profound friendship with the Chinese people, a friendship that is tested by blood and fire and by life and death. The Chinese nation is a grateful nation that values friendship. We will forever remember their indomitable spirit, their selfless devotion and their noble character.

Now the international situation is going through changes and turbulence. Peace deficit is rising. We still have a formidable task in safeguarding world peace. The theme of the Commemoration is to remember history, honor the fallen heroes, cherish peace and create a better future. The Chinese people will stand with people all over the world to firmly defend the victorious outcomes of WWII, and safeguard the U.N.-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. We will work for the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and contribute to the noble cause of world peace and development. Thank you.

China Central Television: You have announced the list of the foreign guests attending the Commemoration. What are the features of the composition of foreign guests participating in the event? Thank you.

Hong Lei: There are three features in terms of the participation of foreign guests.

First, high-level participation. There are many foreign heads of state and government attending, which shows the great importance that these countries attach to China’s holding of the Commemoration and their friendship toward China.

Second, the participation is highly representative. We have the participation from five continents across the world, and that shows that the international community has wide recognition of the historic contribution of China’s war of resistance and its world significance.

Third, extensive participation. We have government representatives as well as private individuals. Many international friends or their families are household names in China, and some of them attended the Commemoration of the 70th anniversary in China 10 years ago. We warmly welcome them to Beijing, to together commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Thank you.

People’s Daily: In May this year, President Xi Jinping attended the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War in Russia. President Vladimir Putin will come to China for the Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. China and Russia were respectively the main battlefield in Asia and Europe, and made historic contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. What message do China and Russia want to send through these arrangements? 

Hong Lei: 80 years ago, China and the Soviet Union were the main battlefield in Asia and Europe in WWII and served as central pillars in fighting against militarism and fascism. Both have made enormous national sacrifices. The people of the two countries fought side by side and extended each other support, saving their respective nations and the future of humanity. Both have made decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. 

In May this year, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia upon invitation and attended the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. President Xi Jinping reached a lot of important consensus with President Vladimir Putin, and together sent the strong message that the history of WWII must not be distorted, the victorious outcomes of WWII must not be denied, and the post-war international order must not be challenged. President Putin is coming to China for the Commemoration. This demonstrates the high-level nature of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and also the solidarity of the two countries in defending the victorious outcomes of WWII. 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the face of the changing and turbulent international landscape, China and Russia, as founding members of the United Nations and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, will continue to work together to safeguard the authority of the U.N. and international fairness and justice, enhance coordination at multilateral platforms like the U.N., the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, practice true multilateralism, and work together to create a brighter future for humanity. 

Xinhua News Agency: The top leader of the DPRK will attend the Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. How does China view the upcoming visit by the top leader of the DPRK? Thank you.

Hong Lei: China and the DPRK are traditional friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. We welcome General Secretary Kim Jong Un to attend the Commemoration in China. This year is the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It also marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Korea. During the arduous years of war, the peoples of China and the DPRK extended each other support and together fought against Japanese aggression, making important contributions to the World Anti-Fascist War and the just cause of humanity. 

To safeguard, consolidate and develop the relations between China and the DPRK is the firm position of the CPC and the Chinese government. China stands ready to work with the DPRK to continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation and advance socialist development, coordinate closely on promoting peace and stability of the region and safeguarding international fairness and justice, and continue to write a new chapter of the traditional friendship between the two countries. Thank you. 

Prensa Latina: Among the foreign dignitaries attending the commemorative events, many are leaders from Global South countries, what is China’s view on this? Thank you.

Hong Lei: The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is the first national liberation struggle in which the Chinese people secured complete victory since the advent of modern times. It gave the colonies and semi-colonies that suffered aggression and repression a lot of inspiration, confidence and courage to fight for national independence and liberation, and had a huge impact on their victory.

Today, eighty years on, gone are the days when a few countries decide the future of other countries, dominate international affairs, and monopolize the development advantages. The collective rise of the Global South is fundamentally changing the world landscape. Over the past 40 years, the GDP of the Global South has increased from 24 percent of the global total to more than 40 percent. In the past 20 years, the contribution of the Global South to global growth were as high as 80 percent. More and more Global South countries have hosted the BRICS Summit, the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit, sending a resounding voice of the Global South and leaving an indelible mark of the Global South. The Global South countries are no longer the silent majority or lagging behind others. Rather, they represent a new force that is awakening and a new hope in a world of changes unseen in a century.

More than eighty years ago, in the desperate fight between justice and evil, peace-loving people across the world stood together and formed a united front against fascism. They defeated the barbaric aggressors, forged world peace, and laid an important foundation for the post-war international order. Today, 80 years on, China stands ready to work with the Global South and all countries for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the just cause of world peace, development and progress. Thank you.

Channel News Asia: Some analysts are saying that this military parade and other anniversary events are not only commemorative but also an occasion to showcase China’s growing strength. What message is China hoping to send to the international community with this display?

Hong Lei: Love for peace is in the lifeblood of the Chinese nation. The Chinese people have suffered deeply from the invasions of imperial powers, which is why we value peace so much. We hold the military parade to show our firm determination to pursue the path of peaceful development, our strong will to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our great capability to safeguard world peace and tranquility. 

In terms of peace and security, China has the best track record among all the major countries of the world. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, our country has never waged a single war, never encroached upon an inch of foreign land, and never started a proxy war. We are the only major country to write peaceful development path into our Constitution. And among the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China contributes the largest number of peacekeepers. China has put forward the Global Security Initiative, advocating the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, thus providing a pathway for resolving security deficit. The growth of China’s strength will contribute more positive energy for world peace. No matter what level of development China reaches, we will never seek hegemony, expansion, or arms race. We will firmly be a force for peace, stability, and progress in the world. We stand ready to work with all countries to make relentless efforts for lasting peace and development of the world. Thank you.

Phoenix TV: We understand that, within Japan, there is a lot of attention on the Commemoration. Some believe that China is using historical issues to pressure Japan and disrupt their narrative of WWII. And in recent years, some forces in Japan have sought to remove restrictions on its military, including downplaying its history of aggression and even distorting historical truth to paint themselves as a victim of war. What is your comment?

Hong Lei: Defending historical truth and upholding a correct view of history bear on human conscience, on international justice and on world peace. Whether or not Japan has the right understanding of and approach to history is a litmus test of whether it can uphold conscience and stand by its commitment to peaceful development. Within Japan, there have all along been some forces that try to deny and glorify aggression, distort history, and even honor the war criminals and justify their crimes. This constitutes a challenge to the post-war international order, a challenge to human conscience and a challenge to all peace-loving people. In recent years, Japan has also drastically adjusted its security policy, increased its defense budget year by year and continued to ease restrictions on arms exports, seeking a breakthrough in military development. Naturally, this arouses the strong skepticism of its Asian neighbors and the international community, as to whether Japan is genuinely committed to an exclusively defense-oriented policy and to peaceful development.

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist war, Japan once again faces questions about its past and present. We urge Japan to face history squarely, reflect deeply upon its crimes of aggression, make a clean break with militarism and pursue the right path of peaceful development, good neighborliness and friendship. Thank you.