This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the World Anti-Fascist War, and the restoration of Taiwan. On Sept. 3, 2025, China held a massive military parade in Beijing to commemorate this significant event. President Xi Jinping delivered a speech and oversaw the parade and reviewed the troops. Eighty years ago, on Sept. 3, 1945, after fourteen years of arduous struggle, the Chinese people finally achieved a great victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which marks China’s first complete victory against foreign aggression in modern times. This victory has made decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, making indelible contributions to global peace and justice. At this solemn moment, we look back on those years not only to honor the fallen heroes but also to draw wisdom and strength from history to illuminate our way forward.
I. The Main Eastern Battlefield: The Chinese Nation’s Heroic War Against Aggression
China was the first to suffer fascist aggression and waged the longest resistance. From Japan’s deliberate provocation of the September 18 Incident in 1931 to its surrender in 1945, the Chinese people endured 14 years of bloodshed and fire on the battlefield, with more than 35 million military and civilian casualties—accounting for one-third of the total casualties during World War II.
For over a decade preceding the Pearl Harbor attack by Japan, China faced the Japanese militarist aggressors virtually all by itself. Historical records reveal staggering persistence: 22 major campaigns, 200 pivotal engagements, and nearly 200,000 battles across 14 years. China’s refusal to capitulate, despite the 1937 Nanjing Massacre and the relentless bombing of Chongqing, bought critical time for Allied rearmament, and decisively shattered Japan’s hubris-filled plan for a three-month conquest of China.
II. A Global Contribution: From Wartime Alliance to Translating Sacrifice into a New World Order
As the main eastern battlefield, China pinned down and engaged the bulk of the Japanese army, frustrating Japan’s strategic plans to advance northward and southward. This effort provided critical support to Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific, contributing significantly to the ultimate victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
Beyond its own defense, China also offered vital strategic support to the Allied cause. China dispatched expeditionary forces to Burma to fight alongside Allied troops. The famed “Hump” airlift and the Burma Road served as vital lifelines, sustaining China’s war effort. With immense national sacrifice, the Chinese people earned the world’s respect and secured China’s position in the post-war international order as a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council.
China wielded this hard-earned prestige to translate wartime fortitude into new international principles. At the San Francisco Conference, Chinese delegates championed national self-determination and anti-colonialism, playing a key role in advocating for the sovereign equality of all nations enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. China’s persistent advocacy for justice and ceasefire stems from its hard-won understanding of the fragility of peace and the dignity as a nation.
III. The Return of Taiwan: Upholding Post-War International Justice
To commemorate this victory is, first and foremost, to defend the truth of history and firmly oppose any attempts to distort or glorify the history of aggression. An integral part of the fruits of the victory was Taiwan’s return to China. The facts on the Taiwan question are clear. In the late 19th century, Japan forcibly seized Taiwan through war of aggression. For 50 years, the Taiwanese people never ceased resisting Japanese occupation. The Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation explicitly mandated that Taiwan, which Japan has stolen, be returned to China. These instruments with legal effect under international law have all affirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan and become part of the postwar international order. Consequently, challenging the one-China principle means defying the U.N.’s authority and undermining the postwar order. The Resolution 2758, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1971, unequivocally recognizes the People’s Republic of China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. Since then, the only reference to the Taiwan region in the U.N. is “Taiwan, Province of China.”
Today, 183 countries, including Grenada—representing the overwhelming majority of U.N. member state have established diplomatic ties with China based on the one-China principle as the political foundation. This reflects that the one-China principle is the global consensus and prevailing trend of our times. Taiwan will inevitably return to the embrace of its motherland.
IV.Learning from History: Promoting the Global Governance Initiative for a Shared Future
Honoring the hard-won peace requires us to confront new global challenges with wisdom and cooperation. In this context, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the SCO Tianjin Summit, calling on countries to work in concert for a more just and equitable global governance system. As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, this year is therefore a “big year” for global governance. The GGI is a timely response to the hope of the people across the world and provides what the world urgently needs. It has been warmly welcomed and supported by leaders and heads of international organizations participating in the SCO summit, and will surely be more actively endorsed and more widely recognized by the international community.
The five core concepts of the GGI outline the principles, methods, and pathways to reform and improve global governance. Sovereign equality is the foremost premise of global governance. International rule of law is the fundamental safeguard. Multilateralism is the basic pathway. The people-centered approach is the underpinning value, and taking real actions is an important principle. They are consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and are helpful for all the countries to advance the reform and building of the global governance system to meet the need of our times via the UN and other multilateral mechanisms and better cope with the challenges of the times.
As President Xi Jinping said, “ Might may rule the moment, but right prevails forever. Justice, light and progress will inevitably triumph over evil, darkness, and regression.” Only when nations across the world treat each other as equals, live in harmony and mutually support one another can common security be safeguarded, the root cause of war eliminated, and historical tragedies prevented from recurring. China stands ready to work with all parties to follow the trend of the times, share opportunities, overcome challenges and promote development together, build a community with a shared future for mankind and make greater contributions to safeguarding and promoting world peace, stability, development and prosperity.
The smoke of battle has long dissipated, but the lessons of history endure. As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance and the World Anti-Fascist War, we honor all those who gave their lives for this victory and remember all who contributed to the war effort. Let us learn from history, cherish peace, and unite in perseverance. May the spirit of international peace and justice inspire us to transform the legacy of shared resistance into a powerful force for building a global community with a shared future, and work hand in hand to create a brighter and better tomorrow for all humanity.