On August 15th, an article entitled Commemorating History, Defending Peace — Marking the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War authored by H.E. Chu Maoming, Chinese Ambassador to Dominica, was published in Dominica’s mainstream media The Chronicle. In the article, Ambassador Chu highlighted China’s great contribution to world peace during the War of Resistance, and called for upholding the banner of peaceful development and working together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.Full Text:

This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, a historic moment that humanity must forever cherish. Eighty years ago, together with peoples worldwide, the Chinese people crushed fascism and secured the triumph of justice over evil, of light over darkness, of progress over reaction. This victory not only profoundly altered the course of Chinese history, but also deeply shaped the trajectory of the world.

No words can fully capture the suffering endured and sacrifices made by tens of millions of Chinese men and women during that arduous and monumental period. We are not only bound to pay the highest respect to these heroes, but also to draw strength from their immortal spirit to nourish our ongoing endeavors and face our shared challenges.

Looking back at history, we must remember the immense contributions of those who resisted aggression toward global peace. The Chinese theater was not only the principal battlefield against Japanese fascist aggression, but also the main front of the World Anti-Fascist War in the East. Beginning with the “September 18 Incident” in 1931, China endured fourteen years of resistance—longer than any other theater of the global anti-fascist struggle, with the earliest inception and among the most devastating sacrifices.

Over fourteen years of war, the Chinese military and civilians, in nearly 200,000 battles of varying scale, killed, wounded, or captured more than 1.55 million Japanese troops—accounting for more than 70% of Japanese losses in the entire World War II, severely depleting Japan’s military strength and national capacity. In fulfillment of this tremendous effort, the Chinese people paid a heavy national price: more than 35 million military and civilian casualties—nearly one-third of global WWII losses—and over US $1 trillion in direct economic losses, with more than US $5 trillion in indirect losses.

From a global perspective of World War II, China’s prolonged resistance against Japanese militarism not only crushed colonial ambitions and safeguarded national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also bought the Allies in the Soviet Union, United States, and the United Kingdom critical time to prepare for war. We firmly pinned down the main forces of the Japanese army, thwarting their attempt to advance northward and join forces with the German army, thereby preventing the Axis powers from achieving effective coordination and mutual support during World War II, and playing a crucial role in easing the wartime pressure on the Soviet Union. We slowed their attempt to advance southward, pinning 35 elite Japanese divisions to the Chinese theater, which forced the Japanese Navy to confront U.S. forces with depleted strength. In addition, despite difficult circumstances, China dispatched troops to support battles in northern Burma, and actively supported anti-Japanese-aggression struggles in Korea and Vietnam, leaving an indelible mark in helping other nations emerge from the shadow of war.

These contributions elevated China’s status as a major country and earned the respect of peace-loving people worldwide. The Chinese people’s victory in that Anti-Fascist War will forever be inscribed in the chronicles of human justice.

At present, we must uphold the banner of peaceful development and safeguard the international order. Even before the smoke of war had cleared, we learned a fundamental truth: rule by might and the law of the jungle only leads humanity into the abyss; militarism and hegemonic domination plunge the world into darkness. Therefore, we are committed to reshaping the post-war international order and preserving peace—the most precious of our victories.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter. In drafting the Charter and establishing the United Nations, China actively advocated for justice, national liberation, and equality among states. After the UN’s founding, China became a permanent member of the Security Council and an indispensable force in maintaining world peace. 

Since then, China has upheld the banner of peace, adhered to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, pursued an independent, peaceful foreign policy, and committed never to seek hegemony or expansion—devoted to safeguarding peace and promoting common development. At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, My President and General Secretary of CPC H.E. Xi Jinping proclaimed that Chinese modernization will follow the path of peaceful development. China will never follow the path of some countries that modernized through war, colonization or plunder; instead, it stands firmly on the right side of history and civilization—raising the banners of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes.

Even today, though the fires of World War II have long been extinguished and peace and development have become the prevailing zeitgeist, the root causes of war remain unresolved. Hegemonism, Cold War thinking, and militarism are still present. We have noted that certain forces in the international community have openly contravened the spirit of instruments with legal effect under international law such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, which established the principles for handling Japan after the war, including the provision that mandated Taiwan, which Japan has stolen, be returned to China. They also distort United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, covertly support the unlawful separation of Taiwan from China, and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait while attempting to obstruct the Chinese people’s cause of national reunification.

We call upon people of insight worldwide to jointly defend the outcome of WWII, reject any distortion of history, and steadfastly uphold the UN-centered international system and rules-based international order rooted in international law. I wish to reiterate that Taiwan’s return to China is an important component of the postwar international order, and that challenging the one-China principle means defying the authority of the United Nations and undermining the post-war order. The one-China principle represents the global consensus and the trend of our times, and Taiwan will inevitably return to the embrace of the motherland.

Looking to the Future, we must promote the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity and work together to create a more beautiful world. In a world being reshaped by a once-in-a-century transformation, the key question is how to preserve hard-won peace and promote shared development. China’s response is embodied in the concept of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity—a global vision answering the fundamental questions about our collective destiny and offering a bright path forward.

China remains the builder of peace, contributor to global development, and defender of international order. We are advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and have proposed the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative—delivering Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to meet common challenges, overcome development bottlenecks, and promote people-to-people bonds.

Last year, upon the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Dominica, my President H.E. Xi Jinping met with Dominican Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit. Both leaders agreed to enhance coordination, deepen South-South cooperation, uphold the common interests of developing countries, promote the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, implement the three global initiatives, and continuously strengthen unity, cooperation, and joint development.

The concept and practice of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity has already fostered broad consensus and generated cooperation across the world. We will continue to work with Dominica and all countries to deepen political trust, expand practical cooperation, and enhance cultural exchanges—building a new type of international relations defined by equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation. In this new era, we will inherit and advance the precious legacy of the Victory in the Anti-Fascist War and strive to make our planet a peaceful, safe, prosperous, open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world.

History’s wheels never stop. Eighty years ago, we achieved a great victory in the War of Resistance; eighty years later, we are entrusted with the mission of peace and development. Let us learn from history and move forward. Together, by deepening China-Dominica cooperation and advancing the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, we will create an even brighter future for mankind!