Speech hailed for advancing world peace

Chinese President Xi Jinping's address on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War paid a tribute to the major contributions and sacrifices made by the Chinese people to achieve world peace and outlined the path for humanity's peaceful shared future, analysts say.

Xi's speech, delivered at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing during the grand military parade, also emphasized China's commitment to "a peaceful rise and development" in a multipolar world.

Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior analyst at business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, said the Chinese president's address underscored the importance of learning from history to avert any pitfalls, and projected collective confidence in shaping international affairs through civilizational diplomacy.

Xi once again reminded the world how important it is to choose peace over war, dialogue over confrontation, and win-win outcomes over zero-sum games, Izzuddin said.

The president emphasized the will of the Chinese people to stand firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress, adhering to the path of peaceful development to build a community with a shared future for humanity, he added.

Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, vice-president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, said Xi's speech honored the sacrifices of millions, and reminded the world that "peace was won at great cost" and should be safeguarded in earnest.

"Western critics often conflate commemoration with intimidation, projecting their own anxieties onto China's rise and rising capabilities," she said.

During his speech, Xi said that when nations across the world treat each other as equals, live in harmony and extend mutual support to one another, only then can common security be safeguarded, the root cause of war eliminated and the recurrence of historical tragedies prevented.

Strong warning

Tomoyoshi Kimura, director of the Northeast Asia Dynamics Study Group in Japan, said that he believes Xi's words that "the tragedies of history must never be repeated" serve as a strong warning.

The historical experience of the Chinese people has shown to the world that "unjust wars of aggression and colonial domination will inevitably end in failure in the face of people's resistance", Kimura said.

Xi's address "conveys a powerful call to join hands in advancing world peace, and I could truly feel that strength", he said.

It is clear that if forces within the Japanese society attempt to "justify" or "distort" the history of Japan's past aggression, China will never turn a blind eye, he added.

Peter Hack, a researcher at the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia, and a former official in the New South Wales' Department of Education and Training, echoed the Chinese leader's remark about China's crucial role as a strategic Allied force in World War II.

"It was important for Australia, as well as other countries around the Pacific and the United States, that China did not surrender to Japan" and instead tied down many Japanese troops, he said after watching the online broadcast of Wednesday's event in Sydney.

Contact the writers at prime@chinadailyapac.com