Global allies' contributions to China's resistance recognized at symposium

Foreigners who shared stories about the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) with the world should be honored and commemorated as their efforts contributed to the victory, participants of a symposium said.

The conflict, which was also an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War, earned the respect and support of the international community. Friends from all over the world supported China and the Chinese people in various ways, strengthening China's resistance efforts and bolstering the confidence of the Chinese people in their fight, said Wang Gang, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during an international communication symposium on promoting the great spirit of the war and effectively presenting the story of China in the new era.

"We need to especially thank those international friends who, more than 80 years ago, braved gunfire to spread the true stories of China's suffering and resistance to the world," Wang said at the symposium held in Peking University on Saturday. The symposium also launched new initiatives, including academic, database and media programs, aimed at carrying forward the spirit embodied by Western journalist Edgar Snow.

He said the foreigners went beyond simply making the world aware of China; they also helped the world better understand the nation. In an era when China was misunderstood and belittled, they helped the world see that it was a nation resisting invasion with flesh and blood.

"At a time when many Western media outlets depicted China's war as a tragedy, they stood up and said, 'This is not a tragedy. It's resistance. It's the vitality of an ancient nation bursting forth in the face of adversity.' This understanding allowed China to be seen on the international stage not as a passive supplicant, but as a companion fighting alongside others," Wang added.

Eric Foster, nephew of Snow, said history should be remembered and honored. If we don't learn from history, the future is going to repeat itself, he said.

"The acknowledgment of what took place and how the Chinese people suffered from the aggression is very important. And more people should be aware of it," Foster said.

In his 1937 book Red Star Over China, Edgar Snow offered a vivid portrayal of the once "mysterious "CPC, showing how it led the revolution and brought dignity and equality to the people.

Foster said he only first heard about the Nanjing Massacre when he came to China for the first time in 2010. All people in the United States have heard about is the Holocaust in Europe; they don't know about the mass killings in Asia and Nanjing, Jiangsu province, he added.

"Also, it's sad to see that there are still some people in Japan who try to deny that the Nanjing Massacre ever happened, even though there were so many eyewitnesses and so much documentation from the soldiers themselves that they committed these atrocities. They are just pretending to be blind," he added.

Michael Crook, son of British communist David Crook, said Red Star Over China was the reason his father came to China.

Japan recently reportedly urged European and Asian countries to refrain from attending the military parade and other events on Wednesday in Beijing — commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

"People should understand that it's a move from the Japanese government, but not its people. I believe most Japanese people are peace-loving and against fascism," he added.

Remembering history isn't about dwelling on historical grievances but about reminding the world that the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War was a victory for all humanity. Everyone who fought valiantly deserves to be remembered, and any attempt to erase the contributions of other countries is a betrayal of history and a desecration of those who sacrificed their lives, Wang said.