A senior Chinese diplomat has hailed the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world's anti-Fascist war as a "glorious epic" in the cause of peace and justice, calling on the world to bear in mind the history and open up the future.[Special coverage]
Yang Yanyi, the head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) made the comments in an article released on Tuesday on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world's anti-Fascist war.
"The Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world's anti-Fascist war seven decades ago was a life-and-death contest in human history of justice versus evil and brightness against darkness," Yang wrote.
She said the Chinese people and other peace-loving forces in the world rose in united resistance and eventually won the great victory of the world's anti-Fascist war.
"The very purpose that we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory is to bear in mind the history and open up the future," Yang continued.
Yang said the world must adhere to a correct outlook of history, adding that the road to the future starts with lessons from the past.
"An important prerequisite to prevent the recurrence of the tragedy is for countries that committed the crime of aggression to repent thoroughly and profoundly and break with the history of brutal aggression," Yang said.
She said Germany has taken actions to wash away the crime of war and prevent, by legislative means, the resurrection of the ghost of war.
"In sharp contrast, Japan has never thoroughly broken with the past of aggression. Certain obstinate forces in the country even openly challenge human conscience by distorting and denying the history and attempting to revive Japan's pacifist constitution," Yang said.
Yang pointed out that some politicians and right-wing forces in Japan, resorting to the same old tricks, stand facts on their heads and shift the blame to others.
"They purposefully blur the nature of war between aggression and resistance and try to depict Japan the victimizer as a victim of the war. They fabricate the so-called China Threat, and flare up tension and confrontation, only to create an excuse to break Japan's pacifist constitution, pass the security bills and lift bans on exercising the right of collective self-defense," she wrote.
Yang urged the international community to unswervingly stick to a correct outlook on the history of the World War II and staunchly oppose any attempts to distort facts and turn back the wheel of history.
Yang insisted that, in addition to adhering to a correct outlook of history, the international community must stick to the path of peaceful development, hold high the banner of international justice and uphold the victory outcomes of WWII and the post-war international order.
Yang added that some people and some forces now still choose to stay in the old days of colonial expansion and in an outdated Cold War mentality. At the same time, hegemonism, power politics and neo-interventionism are still asserting themselves. All this poses a root for international tension and regional instability.
"Sustaining world peace requires all countries to follow the path of peaceful development as this is the wise choice that conforms to the trend of the times and the law of history," she said.
Yang said that as a founding nation of the post-war international order, China has both the right and obligation to uphold, together with the rest of the international community, the outcomes of the war and consolidate the post-war order.
"Likewise, other signatories of the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Proclamation and the United Nations Charter should stand on the right side of history and honor their responsibilities and obligations," she said.
