Afghanistan and China are close and friendly neighbors. Both countries are not only linked by the same mountains and deep connections, but also bonded by common history and destiny. China and Afghanistan were both invaded by imperialist countries. The peoples of two countries won national independence after a long time of arduous struggle. Soon after the celebration of the 95th Independence Day of Afghanistan by the Afghan people, the 69th Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is on the way. On July 7, 1937, the Japanese army flagrantly ignited the Lugouqiao Incident, signaling the start of its comprehensive invasion of China.
According to incomplete statistics, China suffered over 35 million casualties, both military and civilian; China’s direct economic losses exceeded US$ 100 billion and its indirect economic losses totaled more than US$ 500 billion, calculated at the price in 1937. The Chinese Communist Party became a standard bearer leading the national war of resistance to victory by energetically advocating, helping establish and safeguarding the national united front against Japanese aggression, by uniting and mobilizing the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to fight in this great struggle of life and death.
After 8-year’s long protracted, bitter war of resistance, the Chinese people moved from the phase of strategic defense to the phase of strategic stalemate, then to the phase of strategic counter-offensive, and in the end defeated Japanese aggressors thoroughly.The Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War, and China was its main battleground in the East.
The great victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was the result of the united struggle of all compatriots of the Chinese nation, as well as the solidarity of the Chinese people and their anti-Fascist allies worldwide. In this trial of justice and evil, light and darkness and progress and reaction, the Chinese people not only fulfilled the historical mission of saving the whole nation in peril and struggling for their liberation, but also made great contribution to rescuing human civilization and safeguarding the world peace.
The hard-won victory tells us that any aggression by force is doomed to failure, and peace, development, cooperation and win-win results mark the trend of the world. However, a few people still ignore iron-clad history and the fact that tens of millions of innocent people lost their lives in the war, continuously deny and even whitewash Japan’s militarist aggression.
Their intention is to sow discord among Asia-Pacific nations, damage the international mutual-trust, revise military and security policy, raise regional tensions as well as challenge the outcome of the World War II and the post-war international order, which should arouse high attention and vigilance and strongly condemns of the peace-loving people from around the world including China and Afghanistan.
With a view of remembering the history, paying tribute to those who laid down their lives in the war, cherishing peace and sounding the alarming bells for the future, on February 27th, 2014, the National People’s Congress of China designated September 3rd as the Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and December 13th as the National Memorial Day to commemorate those killed by Japanese aggressors during the Nanjing Massacre in the 1930s.
4The occasions are expected to serve as a reminder of calamities the war caused to the Chinese people and the world, and as an expression of the Chinese people’s stance of resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and defending the victory of WWII and the post-war international order. On September 3rd this year, the Chinese government held commemorative activities to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the Victory of the War against Japanese Aggression.
The Chinese people know well about the scourges of imperialism, hegemonism and power politics. We will never follow the traditional pattern where a rising power was bound to seek hegemony. Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, unswervingly safeguard the world peace, oppose hegemonism and power politics, never intervene in other countries’ internal affairs, never seek hegemony and never go for expansion. As a responsible and major country, China strives to make its constructive contribution to world peace and development with practical activities. China’s development is not and will not be achieved at the price of sacrificing other countries’ interests and China never harms others or neighbors to benefit itself.
Currently, China is a member of over 100 intergovernmental international organizations, a party to over 300 international conventions as well as has dispatched a total of over 21,000 military personnel, police and civil officers on 30 UN peacekeeping missions, which is the highest number among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Take Afghanistan as an example, over the past decade, China consistently and actively participates in the Afghan peace and reconstruction process. China has provided to Afghanistan a large amount of assistance without any preconditions, helping build projects of hospitals, schools, roads, irrigation systems and office buildings, offering a large quantity of equipments, financing more than 1000 officials to be trained in China, and providing scholarship for hundreds of students to study in China. Furthermore, China has made big investments in Afghanistan, including the Amu Darya Oil field and Aynak Copper Mine, showing its strong confidence and support to Afghanistan.
In the future, China will continue to help Afghanistan improve its ability of self-development and capability building in all fields.The year of 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-fascist War and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression as well as the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan. The Chinese people stand ready to make joint efforts with the Afghan people to promote an early realization of regional peace, stability and development, so as to make contribution to the peace of the world.