In an exclusive article for DKNews.kz, Han Chunlin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Kazakhstan, reflects on the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II and in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The diplomat recalls Kazakhstan’s contribution to the common victory, the friendship forged in the darkest years of struggle, and how China and Kazakhstan today are working together to uphold historical truth and build a brighter future.
Remembering the Past, Continuing Friendship, Building a Shared Future
This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War, and the World Anti-Fascist War. Over 80 years ago, in one of the darkest periods of human history, the peoples of the world united against a common enemy, forming an international anti-fascist and anti-militarist front. At the cost of blood and lives, they defended peace and human dignity, leaving an indelible mark on history.
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In China, a series of large-scale commemorative events are planned to mark this significant year, including a military parade on September 3. Together with peoples around the world, we will honor the memory of the past, pay tribute to those who gave their lives for victory over fascism and for peace, carry forward the great spirit of resistance, and join forces to create a brighter future for humanity.
The Chinese people fought with extraordinary devotion, and their enormous sacrifices in the anti-fascist war will never be forgotten. China was the first country to enter the anti-fascist war. It fought longer than any other, engaged the largest number of enemy forces, and suffered the heaviest losses. In 1931, in response to Japanese fascist aggression and the “September 18 Incident,” the Chinese people decisively launched the first armed resistance, opening a new chapter in the global anti-fascist struggle and creating the first large-scale eastern front against fascism.
Under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people waged a prolonged and heroic struggle for 14 years, suffering more than 35 million casualties and over 500 billion U.S. dollars in indirect economic losses. By bearing these national sacrifices, China restrained the main forces of Japanese militarism and wrote a moving epic of popular resistance into history. The Communist Party of China, through its strong organizational capacity and spiritual strength, became the pillar of hope for national rebirth — like a spiritual temple rooted forever in people’s hearts. The great sacrifices and heroic struggle of the Chinese people served as an inspiration for global anti-fascist forces and made an indelible contribution to the defense of peace and justice worldwide.
Lugouqiao Bridge Incident/AP
China and Kazakhstan, sharing hardship and fighting shoulder to shoulder, carried their friendship through the years, making it ever stronger. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Kazakhstan, as part of the Soviet Union, made a significant contribution to the common victory. From 1937 to 1941, when transport routes through southwest China were blocked and sea routes cut off, the Soviet Union delivered humanitarian aid to China mainly through the Kazakh city of Almaty, along the northwest corridor.
According to statistics, during this period, 80% of foreign aid for China’s front against Japanese aggression came from the Soviet Union, of which more than 90% passed through Almaty. This route was long considered a vital lifeline for China during the war with Japan. On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Army, with more than a million soldiers across three fronts, crossed the Soviet–Chinese border and launched a powerful offensive against the Japanese Kwantung Army along a 4,400-kilometer front — a decisive blow. Among the forces taking part were Kazakh soldiers who also marched into northeast China to fight alongside Chinese soldiers and civilians against Japanese aggression.
We express our deep respect to the Kazakh veterans who contributed to China’s resistance against Japanese aggression, and to the entire people of Kazakhstan who extended a helping hand in those difficult times. The profound friendship forged by our two nations in the defense of peace will forever live in the hearts of the Chinese people.
Looking ahead, we must resolutely uphold an objective understanding of World War II history, jointly safeguard its victory, and protect the international order established after it. The victory in World War II was the triumph of justice over evil, light over darkness, progress over backwardness. This history cannot be distorted, and the postwar international order cannot be overturned.
Victims of the Nanking Massacre/© Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
The international system, built with the United Nations at its core, embodied the victory of World War II and laid the solid foundation of the postwar world order. Over the past 80 years, despite dramatic changes in the global arena, the UN has stood the test of time, playing a vital role in maintaining world order, upholding global stability and prosperity, and advancing human civilization.
Yet today, some states, ignoring and opposing global trends, pursue unilateral dominance in contradiction to the principles of justice and equality. Such actions undermine the authority of the UN and threaten its role in international affairs.
As the country that bore the heaviest losses among the anti-fascist allies in World War II and the first to sign the UN Charter, China has always regarded safeguarding the UN’s authority and preserving the postwar international order as its sacred duty. Any words or actions that deny the history of aggression or justify military aggression inevitably arouse deep indignation and grave concern among all peace-loving peoples of the world, including the Chinese people. Only by acknowledging history objectively and drawing comprehensive lessons from it can humanity prevent the tragedies of World War II from repeating, avoid historical mistakes, and advance along the path of peace and progress.
Legion-Media/© Pictures From History
The return of Taiwan was an important achievement of the Chinese people’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a great victory won through the dedicated struggle, blood, and lives of the entire Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan.
This year also marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s return to China after Japanese occupation. The Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration, the Instrument of Japan’s Surrender, and other international legal documents affirm China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. These historical and legal facts, as well as the authority of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, are beyond dispute. “Taiwan Province of China” is the only designation for Taiwan within the UN.
Taiwan has never been a country, and it never will be. The separatist actions of “Taiwan independence” forces are a dangerous game with fire, leading to self-destruction, while attempts to “use Taiwan to contain China” are like the futile effort of a mantis trying to stop a chariot. In the end, China’s reunification is inevitable.
The deep friendship between the peoples of China and Kazakhstan, forged during their common struggle, has become a precious shared historical legacy and a solid foundation for strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Looking at the world today, the universal human aspiration to “beat swords into ploughshares and put an end to war” remains unfulfilled. Regional instability and local conflicts erupt one after another, traditional and non-traditional security threats intertwine and intensify, and the shadow of war still hangs over humanity.
At this new historical juncture, as close neighbors with high mutual trust, as friends in the same boat, and as partners seeking mutual benefit and shared victories, China expresses its readiness to work with Kazakhstan, drawing on the consensus reached by our two heads of state, to jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War as a way to further strengthen cooperation in multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the SCO, CICA, and the “China–Central Asia” format.
We are determined to jointly uphold the historical truth of World War II and firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, the international order, and the basic principles of international relations enshrined in the UN Charter. Moreover, we will continue to promote equal and orderly multipolarity in the world and inclusive, balanced economic globalization.
By uniting our efforts, we call upon all nations to build a community with a shared future for humankind and to create a brighter future for the entire world.
