Your Excellency Ambassador Li Baodong and Mrs. Li,
Your Excellency Ambassador Wang Min and Mrs. Wang,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
On September 2nd , 1945, the Japanese government signed the Instrument of Surrender, spelling the end of the largest and most destructive war in history. Just was done, people were liberated, and peace was regained.
Today, we are gathered here to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war. Let us begin by remembering the heroes who laid down their lives for national independence, paying the highest tribute to the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation both at home and abroad who fought in the war and contributed to its victory, and extending our deepest condolences to the innocent compatriots who fell victim to the Japanese aggression.
This war was a life-and-death struggle between the peace-loving countries and people and their fascist enemies. In the face of the ferocious aggression and the national crisis, the Chinese people, with an indomitable and unyielding spirit, threw themselves in the war of resistance for 14 years. Rallied behind the United Front initiated by the Chinese Communist Party and based on the alliance between the Communist and Nationalist Parties, all the Chinese people were united as one, bound by the same mission to liberate our motherland with great determination and ardent patriotism, and safeguarded China with their blood, writing a touching and heroic epic of the Chinese nation.
The Communist Party, fighting behind the enemy lines, the Nationalist Party, or Kuomiintang, on the major front, formed the strategic coalition against Japanese invaders. Behind the enemy lines, the Communist Party mobilized the people and conducted guerilla battles. The Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army, the South China Guerilla, and the Northeast United Army fought with other armed forces against Japanese aggression. Meanwhile, on the major front, Kuomintang launched a number of battles, dealing a heavy blow on the Japanese troops.
The victory of this war could not have been possible without the sympathy and support from all the peace-loving countries and people, international organizations and anti-fascist forces. The Soviet Union was the first country to provide much-needed assistance to China, the US lent us valuable support, and the UK and France offered us economic assistance and conducted military cooperation. And fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Chinese people were troops from DPRK, Vietnam, Canada, India, New Zealand, Poland, Denmark, and the anti-fascist fighters from Germany, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Japan. Meanwhile, a vast number of overseas Chinese, including compatriots from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Marco, shared their destiny with us, participated in this war and supported the motherland through different means, and many of them laid down their lives for their motherland.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Chinese people's resistance against Japanese aggression was not only aimed to defend ourselves, it was also the effort to save the mankind from subjugation and safeguard world peace. With all the ethnic groups involved, China was the first large battlefield against fascism, which later became the major part of the Pacific theatre in the Second World War. People around the world, particularly the anti-fascist Allies, provided support to China and at the same time, China also made indelible contributions to the defeat of fascism worldwide. History has proven that the Chinese people were the decisive force in defeating Japanese militarism. We have made enormous sacrifice for the victory of the world anti-fascist war, and contributed enormously to world peace, progress and justice, which will go down in history and be remembered by all.
The victory of this war was the first of its kind in China's resistance against foreign invasions since the Opium War. The great victory has not only defeated the Japanese invaders and safeguarded our national sovereignty and territorial integrity, it has also led to the great awakening and enhanced the solidarity of the entire nation. The victory helped pass on our proud legacy of perseverance, significantly upgraded China's international standing and accelerated the pace of the Chinese revolution, marking an important turning point towards China's rejuvenation.
The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation. We have learned that peace has not come by easily and is the precondition for national development. Since its founding, the new China has followed the independent foreign policy of peace, and sought to uphold world peace and promote common development. As a staunch force for world peace, harmony and peaceful development, China will make even bigger contribution to the well-being of the entire mankind.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends,
Let us work together, carry forward the unyielding and resilient spirit and redouble our efforts for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and peace and development of the world.
Thank you.