Source: China State Council Information Office
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signed article recently published in the Russian Gazette newspaper, which called for learning from history, and especially the hard lessons of the Second World War, has resonated with the international community.
In the article titled “Learning from History to Build Together a Brighter Future,” Xi urged the international community to draw wisdom and strength from the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and work together to build a brighter future for humanity.
Echoing Xi’s view, experts and officials in multiple countries stated that in today’s world — where unilateralism, hegemony and bullying practices pose severe threats — the international community should stand on the right side of history, uphold fairness and justice, resolutely safeguard the post-war international order, and work together to secure a brighter future for humanity.
UPHOLD HISTORICAL TRUTH
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. On this occasion, Xi’s call for upholding a correct historical perspective on World War II (WWII) carries significant contemporary relevance, said Alexey Rodionov, a professor of Chinese studies at St. Petersburg State University.
As emphasized in Xi’s signed article, historical memory and truth serve as inspirations that mirror the present and illuminate the future, said Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Defending history is not only a way to honor the past but also a means of safeguarding fairness and justice in today’s world, he said.
Katsuo Nishiyama, a Japanese germ warfare scholar and professor emeritus at Shiga University of Medical Science, said any attempts to distort the historical truth of WWII or deny its victorious outcome will not succeed, and the international community will not tolerate attempts to reverse history’s progress.
To protect historical truth, efforts are still needed to prevent future tragedies, the expert warned.
French entrepreneur and commentator Arnaud Bertrand said China has become a major country staunchly supporting multilateral institutions and international law. “Xi’s article is a clear window into current Chinese strategic thinking. China is positioning itself as a defender of the post-WWII international order against ‘hegemonic’ forces,” he said.
RECOGNIZE PIVOTAL CONTRIBUTION
In his signed article, President Xi stressed that China and the Soviet Union served as the mainstay of resistance against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making pivotal contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
As the main theater in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War, China played a pivotal role in defeating Japanese militarism and achieving broader victory over fascism, an outcome made possible by the immense sacrifices of the Chinese people, said Boris Cheltsov, scientific secretary of the Victory Museum in Moscow.
“The Chinese people displayed extraordinary resilience and courage under extremely difficult conditions,” he said.
In the article, Xi emphasized that Taiwan’s restoration to China was a victorious outcome of WWII and an integral part of the postwar international order.
Taiwan is part of China, and China’s sovereignty over Taiwan is both legal and a recognized fact, said Mohab Nassar, associate professor of international law at Cairo University.
DEFEND JUSTICE, NOT HEGEMONISM
Today, the global deficits in peace, development, security and governance continue to widen unabated, Xi wrote in his article. To address these deficits, Xi proposed building a community with a shared future for mankind and put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative as a way forward to steer the reform of the global governance system toward greater fairness and justice.
Akkan Suver, president of the Marmara Group Foundation in Türkiye, said the three major global initiatives proposed by Xi are fair, just and truly uphold multilateralism.
Despite rising unilateralism, China firmly opposes all forms of hegemony and power politics and is committed to maintaining international rules and order, which aligns with the common interests of developing countries, Suver said.
In the face of various conflicts, the international community needs dialogue and cooperation, not division; global development requires rationality and conscience, not power politics, said Suver.
President Xi has proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, emphasizing dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win rather than zero-sum outcomes, said Abdullah Al-Dosari, editor in chief of Kuwait’s Al-Arab Electronic Newspaper.
The Middle East region has long been in turmoil, with peace deficit growing larger and larger, Al-Dosari said, noting that Xi’s proposal has great significance for regional peace and stability.
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