On 29 August, 2025, H.E. Yang Xiaoguang, Chinese Ambassador to PNG contributed an article to PNG's two mainstream media The National and Post-Courier entitled "Remember History and Create a Better Future--Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War". The article recounts the glorious history of the Chinese people's war of resistance, elaborates on the profound significance of the victory, and expresses China's sincere desire to join hands with all nations to safeguard peace, promote development, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The full text is as follows:

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. 80 years ago, the forces of justice around the world heroically defeated fascist forces. As the main Eastern battlefield, China made historic contributions to defending human dignity and restoring world peace.

Looking back at the great victory 80 years ago, we must remember those extraordinary years.

WWII was a war of aggression launched by the fascist powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan in pursuit of global domination. Japan was the most aggressive militarist state among them. In 1931, Japan deliberately staged the September 18 Incident and occupied Northeast China, igniting the first flames of fascist aggression. In 1937, it provoked the July 7 Incident and launched a full-scale invasion of China, in a vain attempt to turn China into its exclusive colony, and then dominate Asia and conquer the world.

From 1931 when Chinese people fired the first salvos of the World Anti-Fascist War, to Japan's surrender in September 1945, the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression lasted 14 years. During that time, Japan poured over 4.1 million troops into China, with nearly 10 million personnel mobilized in total. The Japanese aggressors, devoid of humanity and driven by insane brutality, inflicted appalling massacres, persecution, enslavement, and devastation upon Chinese people, resorting to the most brutal and inhumane means. In the Nanjing Massacre alone, more than 300,000 civilians were killed. Apart from China, the Japanese military also inflicted profound suffering upon many countries across the Asia-Pacific region. They perpetrated the Sook Ching Massacre in Singapore and the Manila Massacre in the Philippines. They forcibly conscripted laborers and prisoners of war from China and other Asian nations and subjected them to brutal enslavement on Pacific Islands, resulting in massive casualties.

Confronted with the ruthless aggressors and a vast disparity in economic and military strength, the unyielding Chinese people, united under the banner of the Chinese united front against Japanese aggression led by the Communist Party of China, stood together with shared hatred and fought tenaciously with bloodshed. With tremendous sacrifice of 35 million military and civilian casualties, and economic losses of 600 billion US dollars, China eliminated more than 1.5 million enemy troops and eventually defeated the Japanese militarist aggressors, making a historic contribution to world peace.

80 years on, however, certain political groups and figures in Japan still deny the brutal atrocities committed by Japanese aggressors. They seek to downplay truth of Japanese aggressors' defeat by referring to it as the so-called "end of the war," portray Japan as a "victim" to obscure the root causes of the war, use "proactive pacifism" to disguise their military expansion ambitions, and attempt to "disconnect from history" to evade accountability for state crimes.These actions have deeply hurt the feelings of the people of China and many other Asian countries, and challenged the justice foundation that the post-war international order is built on. History must not be distorted, and facts must not be erased. Only by permanently condemning the fascist war criminals who committed crimes against humanity to the shame of history, can we prevent the tragedies of WWII from repeating themselves, and align ourselves with the trends of the era to steadfastly move forward to the correct direction of human peace and development.

Looking back at the great victory 80 years ago, we must appreciate the significance of the victory.

The World Anti-Fascist War was a great struggle of justice over evil, light over darkness, and progress over reaction. With tremendous sacrifice, the Chinese people persistently contained and fought against over two-thirds of Japan’s ground forces and a significant portion of its naval and air power. This effort halted Japan’s northern advance into Siberia and delayed its southern push into the Southeast Asia, laying a solid foundation for the ultimate victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. As an significant part of the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was not only fought for the future and destiny of China, but also for the future and destiny of all humanity.

The victory of the World Anti-Fascist War established the international system centered on the United Nations and laid the foundation for the post-war international order. Taiwan's return to China is an integral part of the fruits of the victory of WWII and the postwar international order. The Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation issued by the major victorious powers in WWII explicitly mandated that Taiwan, which had been stolen by Japan, must be returned to China. The Resolution 2758 adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1971, unequivocally recognized the one-China principle, clearly stating that there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal Government representing the whole of China. The historical and legal fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the China's Mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China has never and will not be changed.

The victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was a great victory achieved through the united efforts and courageous resistance of the entire nation. It demonstrated that China is a powerful force defending the cause of justice for humanity, profoundly interpreted the Chinese nation's value of peace and the use of force to stop violence, and fully demonstrated the Chinese nation's spirit of defying brutality and the valour for fight.

Looking back at the great victory 80 years ago, we must uphold peace and promote development.

History, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future. To bear in mind the history is not for perpetuating hatred but for learning from the history, upholding peace and achieving win-win cooperation. In today’s world, deficits in peace, development, security, and governance continue to grow. Certain country is putting its own interests first and engaging in hegemony and bullying, attempting to replace multilateralism and the post-war international order with unilateralism and its self-imposed rules, subjecting the U.N. to unprecedented challenges.

Faced with the choice of unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum, China remains committed to actively guiding the reform of the global governance system in keeping with the principles of fairness and justice, practicing true multilateralism, promoting international unity and cooperation, implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. We firmly believe that the global community should firmly uphold the international system with the U.N. at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the U.N. Charter. All countries should participate equally, exercise rights, and make contributions in the process of multipolarization, allowing different countries, different social status, and different groups to benefit from the development of economic globalization.

To achieve this goal, all countries should adhere to mutual respect, unity and cooperation, and mutual benefit. In this regard, China and PNG, as good friends, good partners, and good brothers, have set an fine example for solidarity and cooperation among developing countries.

The ties between China and PNG are time honored. More than a century ago, Chinese people have crossed the oceans to PNG. During WWII, both China and PNG suffered from Japanese aggression. The Cemetery of War Veterans and Victims in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Rabaul stand testimony to that tragic history.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-PNG relations have maintained a positive momentum and are all in the best in history. Our two sides exchange frequent high-level visits and share deepening political mutual trust. PNG firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Both sides give firm mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, laying a solid foundation for bilateral relations. China-PNG practical cooperation in wide areas has achieved positive and fruitful outcomes.

History cannot be relived, tragedies must not be repeated, but the future can be created. China stands ready to expand and deepen cooperation with PNG, promoting the China-PNG comprehensive strategic partnership to the greater benefit of the two countries and their peoples. We stand ready to work together with PNG and all other peace-loving nations around the world that uphold justice, to jointly maintain peace, promote development, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and to create a better future for mankind.