Category: History

From Spain to China: remembering shared sacrifices in the World Anti-Fascist War

September 3rd marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In the following article, originally published in Global Times on 14 August, Spanish geopolitical analyst H. Gomez notes that the history of international solidarity in the World Anti-Fascist War “did not begin in 1939, nor did it end with the fall of the Nazi Germany”.

He highlights the Spanish Civil War of 1936 as an early front in this global fight:

In 1936, when the Spanish Civil War erupted, a little-known but powerful gesture of internationalism took place. Among the first foreign volunteers to arrive in Spain was Xie Weijin, a Chinese Marxist and journalist who had studied in France and was deeply moved by the Republican cause. As bombs fell over Madrid and Barcelona, Xie risked his life to stand with the Spanish people in their resistance against interventions by fascist forces. He was soon followed by other Chinese volunteers who formed part of the International Brigades – multi-national units made up of workers, students and intellectuals from over 50 countries.

At the same time, China itself was resisting Japanese invasion. The horrors of Nanjing and the bombings of Chongqing became symbols of global anti-fascist resolve, and China too received international solidarity: Canadian doctor Norman Bethune, American aviators of the Flying Tigers, Soviet advisors, and volunteers from across Asia and beyond came to China’s assistance. Indeed, 20 medical doctors serving in the International Brigades went from Spain to China to help defend against Japanese aggression.

These acts of transnational support, Gomez stresses, were not about profit or geopolitics but about a shared moral cause. China has preserved this history through monuments, museums, and remembrance of comrades-in-arms. Yet, he warns, historical revisionism and amnesia in parts of the world threaten to distort or erase these sacrifices, particularly China’s role in the Allied victory.

The author writes that commemorating the war is not only remembrance but a moral imperative. In today’s world—facing pandemics, climate change, and geopolitical tensions—the same spirit of solidarity is urgently needed. China, he concludes, upholds this legacy through peace, cooperation, and its vision of a shared future for humanity:

As China commemorates the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, it does so not in isolation but as part of a global family that once stood together in resistance, and must now stand together in rebuilding global trust and cooperation. This is not only a tribute to the past – it is a blueprint for the future.

Commenting on Gomez’s article, Jim Jump, Chair of Britain’s International Brigade Memorial Trust, remarked:

Global Times is to be congratulated for recognising the links between the Spanish Civil War and China’s resistance to Japanese militarism in the long Anti-Fascist War of the 1930s and 40s.

The fight against Franco, Hitler and Mussolini in Spain and against Japanese aggression in China was seen by many people in Britain and around the world as one and the same struggle.

The International Brigade Memorial Trust salutes the memory of all those who sent aid to the people of Spain and China and of the volunteers in the International Brigades who went from Spain to China to continue the epic struggle against fascism.

As China and the world prepare to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on September 3, it is a fitting moment to revisit the long arc of international solidarity in the World Anti-Fascist War, a history that did not begin in 1939, nor did it end with the fall of the Nazi Germany. 

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The Chinese scholars keeping the memory of Japanese sexual slavery alive

The following article, which was originally published on Sixth Tone, highlights the work of Su Zhiliang and Chen Lifei, a husband and wife team who are China’s foremost scholar activists researching the Japanese militarists’ heinous ‘comfort women’ system, an insitutionalised practice of mass sexual slavery inflicted on women in China, Korea and elsewhere in Asia during Japanese imperialism’s war of aggression.

This year the couple have published two books: “A Comprehensive History of the Japanese Military ‘Comfort Women’ System,” offers an in-depth analysis of wartime female slavery and is considered the most comprehensive, systematic, and authoritative multi-volume study of its kind to date. The other, “The Search: ‘Comfort Woman’ Park Yong-sim and Her Sisters,” is a revised edition setting out Park Yong-sim’s personal narrative as she was taken from her hometown of Nampo, in what is now the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to Nanjing, capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province, and forced into sexual slavery at the age of 17.

Since they began their research and fieldwork in the 1990s, the couple have identified 358 comfort women survivors in the Chinese mainland, nearly tripling previous estimates. Now, there are only seven remaining survivors – the youngest of whom is 95 years old.

Wu Haiyun interviewed Su Zhiliang ahead of this year’s International Memorial Day for Comfort Women, which falls on August 14.

Explaining how the issue came to be hidden for so long, Su said: “After WWII, the Japanese government knew this was a shameful crime and systematically destroyed archival materials related to the ‘comfort women’ system, so the issue only came to international attention in 1991, when a 67-year-old Korean woman, Kim Hak-sun, courageously came forward to testify that she had been forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military in China and to file a lawsuit against the Japanese government.”

There were also further obstacles, especially in the early years: “Local officials in China were often uncooperative, as if this history was something to be ashamed of. This resistance began to ease a bit after 2000 (as more survivors sought litigation and public awareness increased), but the survivors themselves would sometimes still decline interviews. For example, we had once arranged for a Shanghai TV crew to travel with us to northern Shanxi province’s capital, Taiyuan, to interview a survivor. Everything was in place, but just before we departed, she called to say she no longer wished to speak on camera. All I could say was that we understood. It’s incredibly painful to recount the most traumatic experiences of your life to strangers.”

He adds: “The history of ‘comfort women’ represents one of the most horrific, systematic violations of women’s rights in modern history. Our research shows that in China alone, the Japanese military established more than 2,100 ‘comfort stations.’  Throughout the entire war, between 360,000 and 410,000 women were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. Many died during their captivity.”

He also sounds a warning that the Japanese government’s stance towards these crimes is now only getting worse:

“In the 1990s, Japanese school textbooks still included references to the ‘comfort women’ system. Now, such content is becoming increasingly rare. One major reason is the decline of left-leaning historians and the weakening of progressive forces, while nationalist and right-wing voices grow stronger. As a result, Japan’s current attitude toward the issue is even more regressive than it was 30 years ago. We must remain vigilant about this… The ‘comfort women’ system and the [Nazi] Holocaust represent two distinct but equally heinous forms of fascist violence… Both were state-sponsored crimes against humanity, and both epitomise the brutality of fascism and militarism.”

This year, China’s core scholars on “comfort women” — women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army in World War II — published two career-defining books.

One, “A Comprehensive History of the Japanese Military ‘Comfort Women’ System,” offers an in-depth analysis of wartime female slavery and is considered the most comprehensive, systematic, and authoritative multi-volume study of its kind to date. The other, “The Search: ‘Comfort Woman’ Park Yong-sim and Her Sisters,” is a revised edition about Park Yong-sim’s personal narrative as she was taken from her hometown of Nampo, Korea, to Nanjing, capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province, and forced into sexual slavery at the age of 17.

In many ways, the works are a fitting capstone to Su Zhiliang and Chen Lifei’s decadeslong scholarship and advocacy, as the husband-and-wife pair, now nearing their 70s, consider stepping back. Taken together, the books encapsulate the dual approach that has defined the Shanghai Normal University scholars’ foundational work to document and identify survivors of the wartime female slavery system.

However, as the couple contemplate the future of their research, challenges remain. Since they began their research and fieldwork in the 1990s, they have identified 358 comfort women survivors in the Chinese mainland, nearly tripling previous estimates. Now, there are only seven remaining survivors — the youngest of whom is 95 years old.

Continue reading The Chinese scholars keeping the memory of Japanese sexual slavery alive

The Taiping Rebellion and the spectre of peasant communism

In the following article, originally published on his website Weaponized Information, Prince Kapone gives an acute analysis and mounts a trenchant defence of China’s Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864), generally regarded as one of the greatest peasant rebellions, as well as bloodiest conflicts, in human history.

Describing it as the “spectre of peasant communism”, Kapone situates the rebellion against the background of the stagnation and decline of China’s feudal system, of the Qing dynasty in particular, and the way this opened up the country to imperialist depredations, most notably the British Opium Wars (1839-1842; 1856-1860).

He explains: “The opium-induced decomposition of Chinese society was no accident; it was policy. This narcotic primitive accumulation did not represent the entry of capitalism through ‘natural’ development, but its violent imposition through military discipline. As in India, Ireland, and Egypt, the arrival of the capitalist world market meant the annihilation of local metabolic rationality in favour of cash crop logic, debt servitude, and currency crisis. The Qing state, no matter its robes or rituals, had become a tributary of London finance.

“It is within this furnace of contradiction that the Taiping Rebellion arose – not as an aberration, nor a reactionary nostalgia for a vanished harmony, but as the spontaneous combustion of a people compressed between imperial plunder and domestic parasitism. In this sense, the Taiping were the dialectical consequence of a global contradiction: the fusion of foreign capital’s devastation with the internal bankruptcy of a feudal order. What followed was not simply rebellion, but the premature birth of a proletarian-peasant war in the belly of a still-feudal dragon.”

He goes on to outline the form and essence of peasant revolt: “When the peasantry takes up arms, it does not quote Hegel – it dreams. But the dream, far from being false, is the condensed expression of real suffering, organised into symbolic form. The bourgeois mind, unable to see beyond its own secular fetishisms, calls this ‘madness,’ ‘fanaticism,’ ‘superstition.’ Yet just as the commodity hides labour beneath its surface, so too does ideology conceal class. The gods of the Taiping did not descend from heaven – they rose from the rice paddies.

“Hong Xiuquan, the failed scholar who declared himself the younger brother of Christ, has been mocked by European scribes as a deluded zealot. But what is delusion in a world where imperial capital arrives by gunship? In the dream of paradise, in the vision of a Heavenly Kingdom on earth, the Chinese peasantry gave voice to their deepest material yearnings: land, bread, justice, revenge. That this expression wore the garb of biblical apocalypse is no stranger than the French Revolution quoting Rome or the English Levellers citing scripture. The form is borrowed; the content is real…

“This was a weaponised syncretism: a theology forged in the crucible of examination failure, landlord extortion, opium hunger, and state decay. Christ, repurposed by Hong, was not a redeemer of souls but a hammer of kings. The Taiping gospel was less a catechism than a call to arms, less sermon than strategy.”

Continue reading The Taiping Rebellion and the spectre of peasant communism

Hong Lei warns of the continued danger of Japanese militarism as China prepares for key anniversary

We previously reported on the 26 foreign heads of state or government who will attend China’s September 3 commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in  the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

At his press conference, given on August 28, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei also gave details of some other high-ranking persons who will participate, noteworthy among whom are:

  • Speaker of the National Parliament of Timor Leste Maria Fernanda Lay
  • President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Jorge Rodriguez Gómez
  • Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria Atanas Zafirov
  • Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Woo Won-Shik
  • Chief Adviser to the Brazilian President Celso Amorim
  • Representative of the Nicaraguan Government and Presidential Adviser Laureano Ortega Murillo
  • Minister of War Veterans and Rights Holders of Algeria Laid Rebiga
  • President of the New Development Bank (and former Brazilian President) Dilma Rousseff
  • Former Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama
  • Former Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou
  • Former Prime Ministers of New Zealand Helen Clark and John Key
  • Former Foreign Minister of Australia Robert (Bob) Carr

Also, in addition to his comments regarding the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, as well as on the significance of the broad representation from the Global South, which we previously reported, Hong also touched on a number of other questions, including the present situation regarding Japan, where he commented:

“Within Japan, there have all along been some forces that try to deny and glorify aggression, distort history, and even honour the war criminals and justify their crimes. This constitutes a challenge to the post-war international order, a challenge to human conscience and a challenge to all peace-loving people. In recent years, Japan has also drastically adjusted its security policy, increased its defence budget year by year and continued to ease restrictions on arms exports, seeking a breakthrough in military development. Naturally, this arouses the strong scepticism of its Asian neighbours and the international community, as to whether Japan is genuinely committed to an exclusively defence-oriented policy and to peaceful development.”

The following is the full text of the press conference. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Head of the press center for the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War Shou Xiaoli: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the first press conference hosted by the Press Center for the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Continue reading Hong Lei warns of the continued danger of Japanese militarism as China prepares for key anniversary

China’s victory in the war against Japanese aggression inspired the oppressed people of the Global South

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei has stated that the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was the first complete victory in China’s modern national liberation struggle and added that this greatly inspired the people of colonised and semi-colonised countries around the world that had suffered from aggression and oppression.

He was speaking at an August 28 press conference where he introduced the 26 heads of state or government who will attend Beijing’s September 3 commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

Responding to a comment regarding the heavy representation of leaders from the Global South, Hong added that China’s victory had given the oppressed nations confidence and courage to fight for national independence and liberation and had exerted a profound influence on their eventual triumph.

Eighty years later, the era when a handful of countries dominated the destinies of others, monopolised international affairs and held exclusive advantages in development has become a thing of the past. The collective rise of the Global South is fundamentally reshaping the global landscape. No longer the “silent majority” or a “vast backward bloc,” the Global South now represents an awakened new force and new source of hope in changes unseen in a century, Hong noted. The following article was originally published by Global Times.

When asked to comment that among the foreign guests and dignitaries attending China’s V-Day commemorations in Beijing, many are leaders from Global South countries, Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei stated that the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was the first complete victory in China’s modern national liberation struggle, greatly inspiring colonized and semi-colonized countries around the world that had suffered from aggression and oppression.

It gave them the confidence and courage to fight for national independence and liberation, exerting a profound influence on their eventual triumph, said Hong.

Eighty years later, the era when a handful of countries dominated the destinies of others, monopolized international affairs and held exclusive advantages in development has become a thing of the past. The collective rise of the Global South is fundamentally reshaping the global landscape.

Over the past 40 years, the share of Global South countries in global GDP has risen from 24 percent to over 40 percent, and in the past 20 years they have contributed as much as 80 percent of global economic growth. Increasingly, Global South countries are hosting BRICS, APEC and G20 summits, making their voices heard and leaving a clear imprint, said Hong.

No longer the “silent majority” or a “vast backward bloc,” the Global South now represents an awakened new force and new source of hope in changes unseen in a century, Hong noted.

More than 80 years ago, in that life-and-death struggle between justice and evil, peace-loving people around the world united to form a broad anti-fascist front, defeating brutal aggressors, creating world peace and laying an important foundation for the postwar international order. Today, China stands ready to work together with Global South countries and others to promote a more equal and orderly multipolar world, advance inclusive and beneficial economic globalization and jointly contribute to the just cause of world peace, development and progress, Hong said.

London concert honours China’s victory over fascism

More than 300 people gathered at the Royal College of Music in London’s Kensington district on the evening of August 28 for a concert arranged by the Chinese Embassy in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

With the theme, Honour History for a Better Future, the concert featured ten pieces of Chinese and Western music presented by the Hunan Provincial Song and Dance Theatre and New Elements Music.

Founded in 1953, the Hunan Provincial Song and Dance Theatre is one of China’s most prestigious performing arts groups.  New Elements Music was founded in London in 2019 and is dedicated to building bridges between Chinese and global music cultures. There were also guest performers from the London City Orchestra and the Camden Philharmonia Orchestra.

Opening with the Ode to the Red Flag, a classic of revolutionary Chinese music composed by Lü Qiming in 1965, the program featured Chinese modern folk music from the period of war and revolution along with contemporary work inspired by the vision of building a community of shared future for humanity. Western pieces included Sir Edward Elgar’s Nimrod.

Particularly poignant for a number of people in the audience was Long Way from Home, the theme song from the documentary film The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, performed live by Elly O’Keeffe, the London-based Irish singer, who also sings it in the film, accompanied by clips from the film.

A stirring finale was provided by the piano solo Ode to the Yellow River, performed by Di Xiao, Professor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, followed by the choral singing of Defend the Yellow River and My Motherland.

Defend the Yellow River is the last movement of the Yellow River Piano Cantata composed by Xian Xinghai during the war against Japanese aggression. In 1970, it was also adapted into the Yellow River Piano Concerto, which incorporates phrases from The East is Red and the Internationale.

The mixed choir was formed by members of the Choir of the Chinese Embassy in London, the London Chinese Philharmonic Choir and a team from the London Branch of the Bank of China.

Special mention should also be made of the evening’s conductors, Ray Lin from New Elements Music and Thomas Payne, Musical Director of the London City Orchestra.

The event was sponsored by the London Branch of the Bank of China.

Among the distinguished friends of China present were Labour member of the House of Lords, Lord Davidson of Glen Cova; Mrs Denise Wynne, daughter of Lisbon Maru survivor Dennis Morley; former President of the British Sociological Association Martin Albrow; and Jack Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club. Friends of Socialist China was represented by our co-editors Carlos Martinez and Keith Bennett.

A short report of the evening was carried by the Xinhua News Agency.

World leaders to gather in China to mark victory in anti-fascist war

China will stage a massive military parade on September 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War and 26 heads of state or government will attend on the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

This was announced by Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei on August 28.

China’s official listing foregrounds Russian President Vladimir Putin and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) top leader Kim Jong Un. With Kim also being joined by the Presidents of Vietnam, Laos and Cuba, this represents an unprecedented gathering of the heads of state of all five presently existing socialist countries.

The presidents of all five of China’s Central Asian neighbours – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – will also attend, as will the leaders of Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, meaning that nine of the 15 former republics of the USSR, who collectively waged the Great Patriotic War against Nazism, will be represented at top level. Other national leaders from countries with a long and significant history of friendship with China, include those from Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo, Iran, Serbia and Slovakia, the last mentioned being the only member of the European Union and NATO to be represented at top level.

Besides those mentioned above, China’s southeast Asian neigbours will also be represented by Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar (meaning that six of the ten members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, ASEAN, will be represented at top level), while Pakistan and the Maldives join Nepal in representing China’s South Asian neighbours.

In addition, at the invitation of the Chinese government, heads of parliaments, deputy prime ministers and high-level representatives from various countries, heads of international organisations, and former political dignitaries will also attend the V-Day commemorations.

Announcing the participation of Kim Jong Un, Hong Lei said that China and the DPRK are traditional friendly neighbours. He noted that during the arduous years of war, the Chinese and DPRK people supported each other and fought side by side against Japanese aggression, making important contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and humanity’s just cause. He further said that safeguarding, consolidating and developing China-DPRK relations is the firm stance of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, adding that China stands ready to continue working with the DPRK to enhance exchanges and cooperation, and advance socialist development.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also announced Kim’s China visit.

Hong also said that President Putin’s attendance at the commemoration events further highlights the high level of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and underscores their unity in safeguarding the victorious outcome of World War II. He stressed that China and the Soviet Union, as the main battlefields of World War II in Asia and Europe, respectively, served as pillars in the fight against militarism and fascism 80 years ago and made immense national sacrifices.

Continue reading World leaders to gather in China to mark victory in anti-fascist war

China and DPRK jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory over Japanese imperialism

China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have jointly marked the 80th anniversary of the victory of the war to resist aggression and the world anti-fascist war with a number of events.

The Chinese Embassy in the DPRK capital Pyongyang organised a reception on August 20. The Xinhua News Agency reported that among the guests present were Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), First Vice-President of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK, and DPRK Culture Minister Sung Jong Gyu.

Reporting the speech delivered by Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that he noted that, “the China-DPRK friendship was provided in the flames of the bloody revolutionary struggle, [and] stressed that Comrade Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people and a close friend of the Chinese people, made a great contribution to the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression by waging a death-defying struggle with the Japanese aggressors, together with the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Army.

“It is the steadfast policy of the Chinese party and government to successfully defend, consolidate and develop the traditional China-DPRK friendship at all times, he said, expressing the readiness to thoroughly implement the important common understanding made by the top leaders of China and the DPRK and thus advance the socialist cause of the two countries and to make contribution to the happiness of the peoples of the two countries and global peace and stability.”

His speech was followed by that from DPRK Culture Minister Sung Jong Gyu, who paid high tribute to the forerunners of the two countries who sacrificed their youth and lives without hesitation in the sacred anti-Japanese war, and said that the victory in the anti-Japanese war was a world historic event that brought to a close the Second World War with the victory of the world anti-fascist democratic forces and made a great contribution to form a main current with independence and peace in international relations.

He said that the DPRK will make joint efforts together with the Chinese comrades to steadily develop the friendly and cooperative relations forged on the road of accomplishing the cause of anti-imperialist independence and socialism true to the noble intention of the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries.

The website of the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang carried the full text of both speeches.

It quoted Ambassador Wang Yajun as stating:

“The traditional friendship between China and the DPRK was forged in the revolutionary struggle of blood and fire. More than 80 years ago, the military and civilians of the two countries shared the same hatred and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese invaders. Many people with lofty ideals in Korea went to China to carry out the anti-Japanese struggle, which received strong support from the Chinese people and inspired the fighting spirit of the Chinese people. In particular, Comrade Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people and a close friend of the Chinese people, fought to the death against the Japanese invaders together with the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Army of China, not only making immortal contributions to the liberation of Korea, but also making important contributions to the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Comrade Kim Il Sung once fondly recalled the days when he was with his comrades-in-arms of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance, saying that he had ‘stablished a deep friendship’ and that ‘the scene of that year is still fresh in his memory’.

“I would like to reiterate that safeguarding, consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK has always been the unswerving policy of the Chinese Party and government. China is willing to work with the DPRK to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, develop the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between China and the DPRK, promote the steady and far-reaching socialist cause of the two countries, benefit the two peoples, and promote regional and world peace and stability.”

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Dongji Rescue: An inspiring blockbuster of courage, resistance and shared humanity

Friends of Socialist China (FOSC) was grateful to be invited to the European premiere of the film Dongji Rescue by the Chinese Embassy. The screening took place in the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, a grand venue fit for the opening of such a blockbuster film, attended by some of China’s biggest acting stars. The premiere took place on the 15th of August, the 80th anniversary of VJ day, commemorating the allied victory over imperial Japan in World War Two, the most appropriate date for a film examining the shared Chinese and British fight against fascism.

We are very pleased to publish the following review by FOSC Britain Committee member Alfie Howis and hope that as many as possible of our readers take the opportunity to see this inspiring and moving film.

Dongji Rescue is effectively a follow up to the documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru which was released earlier this year. The documentary was a groundbreaking study of the sinking of a Japanese ship off China in 1942 by a US submarine, killing over 800 British POWs onboard who had been captured in Hong Kong, with 384 others rescued from the water by Chinese villagers from the nearby island. The film follows the story of the people on Dongji Island defying their Japanese occupiers and setting sail to rescue, and fight alongside, the drowning British soldiers at the shipwreck. The film was made possible as part of an initiative by the Chinese government to promote media about the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War, to maintain accurate memory of Japanese imperialism and learn lessons from the successful fight against it.

“At the darkest hour of the Second World War, China and the UK fought on different fronts but shared a common mission: to defend humanity against fascism and aggression. Fighting side by side, the peoples of our two countries forged a deep friendship,” said Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang at the premiere. Public awareness of China’s role in WW2 is deeply lacking in Britain, and even where there is knowledge of it, the scale of China’s contribution, even beyond their own fight for national liberation, is lost on most. Dongji Rescue, which is now on general release across UK cinemas, will go some way to rectifying that and may help contribute to a deepening  of the understanding of this topic.

Dongji Rescue is a film about heroism, solidarity, and anti-fascism, but above all it shows the power of collective, militant struggle to resist oppression and take the most just course of action. Throughout the film there are individual heroes, but the central junction of the narrative is the collective decision of the islanders, after wavering on the part of some, to rise up against the Japanese occupation, take to their boats, and risk death together in order to save the soldiers. This would not have been possible without all of the boats taking to the seas as one in a unified action, able to overwhelm the Japanese forces on the sinking ship and provide enough space to rescue hundreds of POWs. The sense of solidarity that the villagers embody as they liberated themselves, however briefly, from occupation is extended to the British men as they share the same struggle in that one moment, both fighting for their lives under attack from the same seemingly overwhelming force, in the end blunted by their collective bravery and resistance. Even the regimented and rank subordinated POWs can only succeed through self-organised collective efforts. Whether freeing themselves from the locked hold or flipping Japanese motorboats, the reactive instinct of the men goes beyond the orders from their commanders and is more akin to the spirit embodied by the islanders, which ultimately saves many of their lives.

Continue reading Dongji Rescue: An inspiring blockbuster of courage, resistance and shared humanity

80 years since the end of World War II – Japanese militarism has not changed its spots

In the following contributed article, Stephen Chang of People’s Forum Ltd. (UK) outlines how, far from uprooting the soil in which Japanese militarism and fascism had bred, the United States, as the occupying power following Japan’s surrender 80 years ago, pressed leading war criminals from Emperor Hirohito himself down into the service of its own hegemonic project. As a result, the USA, along with its client state Japan, remains today the greatest threat to peace in the Asia Pacific region. Vigilance is needed.

As we commemorate Japan’s unconditional surrender 80 years ago, on 15 August 1945, which ended WWII in Asia Pacific, we must remain vigilant.

Hirohito, the war time emperor of Japan, was a war criminal who escaped punishment on the insistence of the US.  Hirohito was directly and personally involved in the conduct of Japan’s invasion of sovereign nations and the death and atrocities inflicted on millions of civilians during WWII in Asia Pacific. Hirohito’s surrender speech is full of lies, half-truths and distortion of facts about Japan’s declaration, conduct and even surrender of its barbaric war against the people of the Asia Pacific region.

Hirohito, in his surrender speech, referred to Japan’s four years of war in Asia Pacific.  This is a blatant lie. Japan invaded and occupied part of northern China, namely the Manchurian region, on 18 September in 1931, attacked and bombed Shanghai in 1932, and expanded its war on the rest of China in 1937.  The reference to four years by Hirohito (1941-1945) is a deliberate attempt on the part of fascist Japan to exclude and ignore its invasion and occupation of part of China from 1931 and the atrocities committed in China like the massacre of 300,000 Chinese civilians, men, women and children, in Nanjing in 1937.

Fascist Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allied powers (China, Soviet Union, UK and USA) on 15 August 1945 and formally surrendered on 2 September 1945.   China declared the end of the Chinese people’s war against the Japanese invaders on 3 September 1945, and the formal ceremony of Japan’s surrender to China took place on 9 September 1945.  So, WWII in Asia lasted 14 years, not four years as claimed by war criminal Hirohito, as China forms a large part of Asia and suffered most severely from Japan’s war crimes and atrocities.

Why was Hirohito not tried as a war criminal?  Because the USA wanted a fascist puppet regime in the Asia Pacific region to further its post WWII global imperial domination.  Hirohito remained emperor of Japan until his death in 1989.  In 1971, the UK, a subservient nation to the US, accorded this war criminal the highest honour of an official State Visit.  Under Hirohito, and Japan’s post war constitution drafted by the US, Japan became an effective puppet state of the US from the end of WWII to the present time.

We should know that Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960, was the mastermind of Japan exploitative economic and industrial policies in the Manchurian region of China from 1932 following its invasion in 1931, enslaving millions of Chinese for the benefit of Japan.  This is also where Japan’s Unit 731, the secret Japanese military testing facility (on live Chinese, Korean, Russian and other men, women and children) for biological warfare was based – in Harbin.

None of the leaders of Unit 731 were prosecuted for war crimes at the insistence of the US, in exchange for full disclosure to the US by Japan of the findings and results of its biological warfare experiments. (Only the Soviet government set up a special military tribunal at Khabarovsk in December 1949 to hold a joint trial of 12 former Japanese army officers on criminal charges relating to Unit 731’s wartime activities.) Unit 731 commanding officer Surgeon General Shiro Ishii, who commanded bubonic plague attacks on the Chinese cities of Changde and Ningbo, was awarded a special service medal by war criminal Hirohito and was granted immunity from war crimes against humanity by the US in 1948.  He was subsequently hired by the US to lecture US officers at Fort Detrick on the use of bioweapons and the findings made by Unit 731.

General Dr Masaji Kitano was the second commander of Unit 731 from 1942.  He too was granted immunity from war crimes prosecution and released as a POW and repatriated to Japan in 1946.   Using his biological warfare knowledge, in 1950 Kitano was a founder of Green Cross Corporation, which became one of Japan’s premier pharmaceutical companies, now known as Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation.  Murray Sanders, the US officer who led the US cover-up of Japanese war crimes, became a consultant to Green Cross.

In 1941 Kishi became a member of Japan’s WWII cabinet.  He was arrested to face trial as a Class A war criminal on Japan’s surrender.  However, the US released him without charges in 1948 and groomed him to be a leader of post war Japan.  This war criminal was elected to Japan’s parliament (National Diet) in 1953. With US support, he consolidated Japanese conservatives so as to counter the influence of Japan’s Socialist and Communist parties.  In 1955 he was instrumental in the establishment of the Liberal Democratic Party.  He was also key to setting up the “1955 System” that provided the basis for the LDP to remain Japan’s dominant party.

Kishi’s (the war criminal turned prime minister of Japan) younger brother, Eisaku Sato, was Japan’s prime minister from 1964 to 1972.   Kishi’s grandson, Shinzo Abe, was Japan’s prime minister from 2012 (the start of the Obama/Clinton “Pivot to Asia Pacific” designed to contain China) to 2020.

We should know that today:

  • Japan’s military is the fifth largest in the world and based on its current military budget is projected to become the third largest after the US and China.
  • The US has 120 active military bases and 55,000 military personnel in Japan.
  • Japan is home to the US’ largest and most heavily armed overseas military base.
  • The US military is the main and greatest beneficiary from the Japanese WWII Unit 731 biowarfare research on live human beings.

The US, the leader of the “free world” since WWII, self-styled beacon of democracy and human rights, and party to Japan’s war crimes against humanity, is today, together with its puppet client state Japan, the greatest threat to peace in the Asia Pacific region and globally.

While we commemorate the end of WWII 80 years ago, we must remember that the US is the main country in the world that has waged covert and overt wars against sovereign nations in most if not all of the 80 years since the end of WWII.

Beyond victory: Rethinking WWII’s legacy in a fractured world

We are pleased to publish below an original article by Wu Yanni, a Beijing-based political commentator and contributor to Chinese and international media, arguing that the lessons of World War II remain relevant – and indeed urgent – in today’s geopolitical context.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism and the founding of the United Nations, Wu stresses that the war’s devastation—100 million casualties worldwide, including 35 million Chinese lives—is a sobering reminder that militarism “leads not to greatness, but to ruin.” For China, the 14-year resistance against Japan became both a struggle for survival and part of the foundation of its modern nationhood.

A central theme is the danger of selective memory. Wu critiques attempts in Japan to downplay atrocities such as the Nanjing Massacre or Unit 731, a secret research facility in Heilongjiang, northeast China, where criminal and inhumane experiments were carried out on Chinese, Russian, Korean and other prisoners. Globally, she warns, invoking distorted history to justify present-day militarism and aggression undermines the spirit of the UN Charter and runs counter to the multipolar trend.

The article highlights the overlooked role of the Global South in the war: India’s 2.5 million volunteer soldiers, African and Latin American contributions, and Brazil’s combat role. These experiences have been marginalised and largely ignored in Western historical accounts. Wu writes:

As soldiers returned home, many questioned why they had fought for freedom abroad while being denied basic rights at home. From Vietnam to Ghana to Indonesia, national liberation movements accelerated. The 1955 Bandung Conference, where newly independent nations charted a path toward nonalignment and sovereignty, marked a turning point.

Today, however, “the Global South is no longer a silent object of history. From BRICS cooperation to African-led development frameworks and Latin American regionalism, formerly marginalised voices are demanding a say in shaping global rules.”

Wu Yanni concludes by recounting China’s peaceful rise and its consistent orientation towards inclusive development and multilateral cooperation. As such, China is helping to truly apply the lessons of WWII, “building a future where peace is sustained not by dominance but by cooperation, equity, and respect”.

War and peace have always shaped the trajectory of human civilization. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the broader World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the founding of the United Nations.

Eighty years ago, nations came together in the wake of unprecedented devastation to chart a new path for global peace. China, along with the Soviet Union, was among the first to sign the UN Charter, an act symbolizing a shared hope that the horrors of fascism would never be repeated.

The price of that hope was staggering: over 100 million casualties, with half of humanity drawn into the conflict. For China, the war was not just a battleground against foreign invasion; it was a pivotal moment in its modern nationhood. The 14-year resistance against Japanese aggression, which cost 35 million Chinese military and civilian lives, held the Eastern Front and helped shape the moral foundation of the postwar international order.

Looking back from today’s fractured and uncertain world, the lessons of that war remain painfully relevant. Militarism, no matter how technologically advanced or ideologically justified, inevitably breeds destruction. Dominant narratives that claim moral superiority cannot contain the rising currents of multipolarity. Real peace cannot be achieved through alliances defined by exclusion. It requires a shared commitment to inclusion, fairness, and mutual respect.

Continue reading Beyond victory: Rethinking WWII’s legacy in a fractured world

Chinese Ambassador recalls wartime solidarity between Chinese and British people

On August 15, which marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang published an article in the Guardian newspaper entitled, ‘China and Britain shared a mission to fight aggression and fascism. And we can work together today’.

Ambassador Zheng wrote: “At the darkest hour of the Second World War, China and the UK fought on different fronts but shared a common mission: to defend humanity against fascism and aggression. Millions of lives were lost, cities razed, and families torn apart. Yet in that darkness, courage and solidarity illuminated the way forward. The Chinese and British peoples stood shoulder to shoulder, united by sacrifice and a shared belief in freedom and justice.”

Among the examples he cites:

  • In Asia, Chinese forces made immense sacrifices to support Allied efforts. In 1942, the Chinese Expeditionary Force marched over 1,500 gruelling kilometers through the jungles of Myanmar to rescue British forces trapped by Japanese troops.
  • In Britain, thousands of Chinese seamen served with quiet courage in perilous convoys. They braved the freezing Atlantic to deliver fuel and supplies to British forces on the front lines – often with little recognition and no promise of return. [In fact, thousands of them were shamefully deported after the war in an act of egregious racism by the Labour government that tore families apart forever.]
  • In October 1942, when the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese transport vessel carrying over 1,800 British prisoners of war, was mistakenly torpedoed by a US submarine… local fishermen risked their lives, dodging volleys of Japanese gunfire, to rescue 384 survivors from the sea.
  • Across the UK, ordinary citizens formed aid organisations, held fundraisers, and sent donations to support the Chinese people.
  • George Hogg, a young man from Harpenden (a one-time reporter for the Manchester Guardian) [the precursor of today’s Guardian]… journeyed to China to provide schooling and shelter for displaced children, dedicating his youth, passion and ultimately his life to a just cause. His internationalist spirit remains deeply cherished by the Chinese people. 

“History has shown,” Zheng Zeguang writes, “what China and the UK can achieve when we stand together. As we commemorate this historic anniversary, China stands ready to work with the UK to carry forward the legacy of those who came before us.”

The following is the full text of the Ambassador’s article as reproduced on the website of the Chinese Embassy in London.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war. There will be a two-minute silence at 12 noon in the UK to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. This is a moment not only for solemn remembrance, but also for reflection on the enduring bonds forged in the crucible of history—bonds that continue to resonate in our world today.

At the darkest hour of the second world war, China and the UK fought on different fronts but shared a common mission: to defend humanity against fascism and aggression. Millions of lives were lost, cities razed, and families torn apart. Yet in that darkness, courage and solidarity illuminated the way forward. The Chinese and British peoples stood shoulder to shoulder, united by sacrifice and a shared belief in freedom and justice.

Continue reading Chinese Ambassador recalls wartime solidarity between Chinese and British people

Chinese and Russian diplomats celebrate anti-fascist victory in DPRK

Chinese and Russian diplomats in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) jointly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on July 31.

Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun said that 80 years ago, China and the Soviet Union fought side by side and supported each other, won the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Great Patriotic War on their respective battlefields, and made significant historical contributions to the victory of the world anti-fascist war. In May this year, President Xi Jinping attended a celebration commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War. In September, President Putin will also attend the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora congratulated the Chinese people on the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, saying that the Russian and Chinese peoples made the greatest sacrifices in the European and Pacific theatres respectively and played a decisive role in the struggle to defeat German Nazism and Japanese militarism.

The following article was originally published in Chinese on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK and has been machine translated.

On July 31, 2025, Ambassador Wang Yajun and Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Matsegora led diplomats from the Chinese and Russian embassies in the DPRK in a friendly exchange event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The event was attended by Minister Feng Chuntai of the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK, Defense Attaché Major General Wang Yisheng, Counsellor Gao Wu, and Counsellor Xu Feng, as well as Minister Counsellor Topeha, Defense Attaché Major General Batusov, and Political Counselor Shutov of the Russian Embassy in the DPRK.

Ambassador Wang stated that 80 years ago, China and the Soviet Union fought side by side and supported each other, achieving victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Great Patriotic War on their respective fronts, making significant historical contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. In May of this year, President Xi Jinping attended the celebrations commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. In September, President Putin will also attend the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. China is willing to work with Russia, guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to remember history, cherish the memory of the martyrs, promote a correct view of World War II history, safeguard the achievements of World War II and the post-war international order, and uphold international fairness and justice and regional peace and stability.

Ambassador Matsegora congratulated the Chinese people on the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. He stated that the Russian and Chinese peoples made the greatest sacrifices in the European and Pacific theaters, respectively, and played a decisive role in defeating German Nazism and Japanese militarism. Russia has always advocated peace and hopes to create a peaceful and stable environment for economic development and improving people’s livelihoods. The international community should work together to build a just and peaceful international order and ensure equal rights for all nations and peoples.

The two sides jointly watched a video commemorating the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the victory of Russia’s Great Patriotic War. Chinese and Russian diplomats respectively recited the poem “The Eternal Torch” and sang the song “Blood Type” to express their remembrance of history and their cherishment of peace.

Rabindranath Tagore: Enduring pioneer of India-China Friendship

Third World Solidarity organised a meeting and reception at the Royal Nawaab in west London on the evening of August 7 to honour the life and work of the Indian intellectual giant Rabindranath Tagore on the 84th anniversary of his death.

Our co-editor Keith Bennett spoke there and focused on Tagore’s anti-imperialist internationalism, with specific reference to the Soviet Union, China and Korea.

Keith noted how, on setting foot in China on April 12, 1924, Tagore said: “I do not know why coming to China seems to me like returning to my native soil. I always feel that India has been one of China’s extremely close relatives, and China and India have been enjoying time-honoured and affectionate brotherhood.”

Visiting the West Lake in Hangzhou, he wrote: “No matter how the situation changes, as guests, friends and brothers, we will always stand by you. The mountains of China and India speak the same language, the lakes have the same charming smile on their faces, and the trees in the two countries are also similar. Therefore, they feel very friendly and not at all strange.”

When paying a visit to India in June 1954, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai said, “We will never forget Tagore’s love towards China and also cannot forget Tagore’s support towards China’s national liberation movement.”

And during his visit to India in September 2014, President Xi Jinping recalled that he had read several of Tagore’s poetry collections.

When Japan launched its all-out war of aggression against China in 1937, Tagore observed with extraordinary prescience: “China is unconquerable, her civilisation has endless potential, and her people, with their unconditional loyalty to the country and unprecedented unity, are creating a new century for that country.”

The evening was introduced by Southend Labour Councillor Shahid Nadeem Sandhu, who is also the Chair of Pakistanis for Labour and Secretary General of Third World Solidarity, and chaired by Hon. Alderman Mushtaq Lasharie, Chair of Third World Solidarity. Other speakers included Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of Malala Yousafzai, (by video link); Hounslow Labour Councillor Pritam Grewal; Rita Payne, President Emeritus of the Commonwealth Journalists Association; veteran journalist Mihir Bose, the BBC’s first sports editor and its first non-white editor; and Mian Saleem, President of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP – Greater London).

The following is the text of Keith’s speech.

I’m grateful to Third World Solidarity for giving me the opportunity to say a few words at this timely meeting to honour the life and work of Rabindranath Tagore.

Timely not least, of course, since today is exactly 84 years since he passed away.

The first non-European ever to win a Nobel Prize in any category, Tagore’s name is synonymous with the Bengal Renaissance. And, as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social activist and painter, he surely belongs among that select view to whom the accolade of polymath truly applies.

Continue reading Rabindranath Tagore: Enduring pioneer of India-China Friendship

Vietnam and China to celebrate key anniversaries

Socialist neighbours China and Vietnam have confirmed that they will exchange high level delegations on the upcoming 80th anniversaries of Vietnam’s August Revolution and National Day along with the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war.

The pledge came when Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 29, on the sidelines of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP 6).

Tran Thanh Man affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people highly evaluated Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping’s recent state visit to Vietnam, calling it a historic milestone and a bright highlight in the bilateral relations in 2025.

The Vietnamese top legislator further noted that the bilateral relations have seen remarkable progress, with growing political trust between the two Parties and States, increasingly comprehensive and effective cooperation mechanisms, and closer legislative ties. He informed his Chinese counterpart that the Vietnamese National Assembly is actively preparing for the first session of the Vietnam–China Inter-Parliamentary Committee and expressed his hope to welcome Chairman Zhao to Vietnam to co-chair this important event.

Both sides shared delight at the upcoming participation of senior leaders from the two countries in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s August Revolution and National Day, as well as the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory against fascism.

The next day Vietnam’s Nhân Dân newspaper reported that the first joint army training exercise of the Vietnamese and Chinese ground forces had wrapped up at the Jianglong Chongzuo Training Base in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on July 30.

The exercise, which ran from July 21-30, focused on major military disciplines such as reconnaissance, camouflage, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations, marksmanship, medical aid, chemical defence, field logistics, and coordinated tactical operations. In particular, the UAV exercises involved six practical combat scenarios in mountainous terrain, enhancing reconnaissance, strike, and rescue capabilities while improving coordination between the two forces. Cultural and sports exchanges within the program, including basketball, table tennis, chess, calligraphy, traditional medicine, and artistic performances, also helped strengthen mutual understanding and trust.

Earlier, on July 7, China Daily reported that a four-day exchange program, held under the theme “Youth Uniting for the Future”, was jointly organised by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guizhou Provincial Committee and China Daily, bringing together Chinese and Vietnamese youth delegates, along with Vietnamese experts.

The event was part of broader efforts to implement agreements reached by the top leaders of China and Vietnam. In April, President Xi Jinping proposed inviting Vietnamese youths to China for “Red Study Tours” over the next three years to strengthen bilateral ties.

Continue reading Vietnam and China to celebrate key anniversaries

DPRK honours Chinese internationalists on war anniversary

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) celebrated the 72nd anniversary of victory in the Fatherland Liberation War on July 27. This was the date when an armistice agreement was signed ending the fighting that had raged on the Korean peninsula since June 25, 1950.

General Mark Clark, the US commander, admitted that: “In carrying out the instructions of my government, I gained the unenviable distinction of being the first United States commander in history to sign an armistice without victory.”

Malcolm X, the African-American revolutionary leader, said: “Any time Uncle Sam, with all his machinery for warfare, is held to a draw by some rice eaters, he’s lost the battle.” In his ‘The Ballot or the Bullet’ (April 12, 1964), Malcolm noted in his inimitable style:

“Why some rice farmers, some rice farmers, some rice eaters ran him out of Korea. Yes, they ran him out of Korea. Rice eaters with nothing but gym shoes, and a rifle, and a bowl of rice took him and his tanks and his napalm, and all that other action he’s supposed to have and ran him across the Yalu.”

DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un participated in a number of functions to mark this year’s anniversary.

On July 26, he visited the Friendship Tower, which stands in the centre of the capital Pyongyang and honours the martyrs of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army, who gave their lives in what is known in China as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

Presenting a wreath, Kim Jong Un said that we will never forget the combat feats and merits of the fallen fighters of the Chinese People’s Volunteers recorded in the history of the great victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.

The previous day, Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun led a large team to visit the Chinese Volunteers Martyrs’ Cemetery in North Pyongan Province.

The administrator of the DPRK cemetery gave a briefing on the restoration and protection of the martyrs’ tombs and said that President Kim Il Sung had instructed that the cemetery should be built in a beautiful place and at a time of commemorative significance. On important holidays, the DPRK people come to pay their respects to the martyrs of the volunteers. As a member of the younger generation, I have been taught by the DPRK Party and government since I was a child that the traditional friendship between the DPRK and China is unbreakable, and I will continue to do my best to maintain and manage the cemetery and contribute to the inheritance of the DPRK-China friendship.

Ambassador Wang thanked the DPRK Party and Government for attaching importance to the restoration and protection of the martyrs’ tombs of the Chinese People’s Volunteers and said that the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK is cemented with blood and is a precious wealth shared by both sides. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers going abroad to fight to resist US aggression and aid Korea, and it is believed that under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK will surely achieve greater development and make greater contributions to safeguarding regional peace and benefiting the two peoples.

The same day, the ambassador visited Pyeoncheon City, South Pyongan Province to pay tribute to the martyrs of the volunteers who died in the Songgu Peak Blockade.

The DPRK personnel gave a detailed account of the situation in the Songgu Peak Blockade Battle, and said that the Chinese People’s Volunteers held high the banner of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea and defending the homeland and the country, united with the DPRK army and people, fought together, and defended the DPRK as if it were their own motherland. It was precisely this spirit that turned into a shield to resist aggression and a sharp sword for launching an attack, and more than 100 officers and men of the Chinese Volunteers were able to resist the repeated attacks of the US military and the wanton and indiscriminate bombardment of aircraft and artillery and fight until the last moment. The Korean people will always remember the great sacrifices of the Chinese People’s Volunteers.

Ambassador Wang said that the Chinese People’s Volunteers fought side by side with the DPRK military and civilians, braved hardships and dangers, made great sacrifices, and made indelible and important contributions to the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. We must pass on the spirit of Songgufeng from generation to generation, continue to consolidate and develop the friendship between China and the DPRK, work together to overcome challenges, and contribute to the socialist construction of the two countries and regional peace and stability.

Previously, on July 22, the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang held a reception to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

On behalf of all officers and men of the Korean People’s Army, Deputy Director Pak Yong Il warmly congratulated the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, saying that the DPRK and Chinese armies have joined hands to resist the imperialist invaders in many wars and fought side by side in the same trenches, creating a shining example of friendship and unity. The DPRK is willing to work with China to provide a solid guarantee for the development of friendly relations between them and of the great cause of socialism in the two countries in accordance with the lofty will of the two parties.

On July 18, Ambassador Wang led diplomats from his embassy to visit the Chongsang-ri Cooperative Farm near Nampo City. This is the most famous farm in the DPRK as the country’s founding leader Kim Il Sung visited it a total of 91 times and put forward the basic principles for guiding the development of socialist agriculture and rural development in the DPRK, known as the ‘Chongsan-ri spirit’ and the ‘Chongsang-ri method’.

Continue reading DPRK honours Chinese internationalists on war anniversary

Vietnam to honour China and other traditional friends on 80th national day

Vietnam’s National Defence Ministry has invited the military of five countries – Russia China, Laos, Cambodia, and Belarus – to join the parade in the ceremony marking the 80th August Revolution Day and the 80th National Day, to be held on September 2 in the capital Hanoi.

The ministry has also sent invitations to defence ministers of eight countries – Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan – to attend the ceremony, according to Deputy Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien.

The Vietnam News Service reported on July 10 that the invitation of military units to participate in the parade is a gesture of friendship, solidarity and the close bonds between the people and army of Vietnam and their traditional allies and further noted that on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30 2025), the defence ministries of China, Laos and Cambodia sent military personnel to take part in the parade held in Ho Chi Minh City. This was the first time for Vietnam to invite foreign troops to participate in a national military parade.

Also on July 10, the defence ministry held a meeting with relevant bodies to expedite the construction of a monument dedicated to the soldiers from foreign countries who supported Vietnam during its resistance wars, to be located at the Vietnam Military History Museum.

The memorial complex will include a general symbol commemorating the support and sacrifices of foreign military experts, made of bronze and designed by Vietnam, as well as separate monuments honouring military experts from the Soviet Union/Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia and Cuba, also made of bronze, that will be either designed and constructed by the respective countries or by Vietnam upon request, and a greenstone relief designed and built by Vietnam.

The following article was originally published in Vietnam News.

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s National Defence Ministry has invited the military of five countries – Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Belarus – to join the parade in the ceremony marking the 80th August Revolution Day and National Day on September 2 in Hà Nội.

The ministry has also sent invitations to defence ministers of eight countries of Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to attend the ceremony, according to Deputy Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Chiến.

So far, Cuba has responded to the invitation, confirming that the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba will attend the ceremony.

Laos and Cambodia have also expressed their support for the initiative to send military forces to participate in the parade at the celebration, as per Việt Nam’s invitation.

The invitation of military units to participate in the parade is a gesture of friendship, solidarity and close bonds between the people and army of Việt Nam and its traditional allies.

The move also reaffirms Việt Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralism — being a reliable partner and friend to all nations.

Previously, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 2025), the defence ministries of China, Laos and Cambodia sent military personnel to take part in Việt Nam’s military parade.

On the same day, the defence ministry held a meeting with agencies and units to implement the construction of a monument dedicated to the soldiers from foreign countries who supported Việt Nam during its resistance wars, to be located at the Việt Nam Military History Museum.

This commemorative project carries great significance, paying tribute to foreign military experts and soldiers who assisted Việt Nam in its wars of national liberation.

The memorial complex will include a general symbol commemorating the support and sacrifices of foreign military experts, made of bronze and designed by Việt Nam; separate monuments honouring military experts from the Soviet Union/Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia and Cuba, also made of bronze that will be either designed and constructed by the respective countries or by Việt Nam upon request; and a greenstone relief designed and built by Việt Nam.

The area surrounding the monument will be landscaped with trees and grass lawns.

Chiến has instructed that construction progress be expedited. The first group of statues must be completed before August 15, while the entrance and central exhibition area should be finished by August 10.

China and DPRK mark treaty anniversary

The 64th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was celebrated in Pyongyang and Beijing on July 8th and 10th respectively.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that, addressing the reception held at his embassy, Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun said that the treaty embodies the friendship the two peoples built with their blood in the process of resisting foreign aggression and striving for national independence and liberation and lays a solid legal and political foundation for the long-term development of bilateral relations.

He added that at the moment when changes in the global landscape unseen in a century are going deeper, highlighted by intertwined chaos and ever emerging risks and challenges, it is of great significance to well implement the spirit of the treaty and well develop bilateral ties.

In his address at the event, Kang Yun Sok, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK, said that the bilateral treaty lays a solid legal foundation for the continuous consolidation and development of the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and China amid any changes and challenges.

The DPRK-China friendship was jointly forged by the two countries’ older generations of leadership in striving to fight imperialism, achieve independence and build socialism, he said, noting that it is the DPRK’s unwavering stance to pass on and deepen the friendship with China from generation to generation.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also carried a report on the reception.

China’s People’s Daily reported that Wang Dongming, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), attended a reception on July 10 to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the signing of the treaty hosted by DPRK Ambassador to China Ri Yong Nam.

KCNA noted the large number of Chinese institutions who participated in the reception.

On July 11, People’s Daily carried a commentary saying that: “On July 11, 1961, Premier Zhou Enlai and Prime Minister Kim Il Sung jointly signed the Sino-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Beijing. This important document has laid a political and legal foundation for the development of friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries and embodies the common desire of the two sides to inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship and safeguard regional peace.

It added: “In recent years, General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong Un have maintained close exchanges and interactions through various forms, leading and promoting the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between China and the DPRK into a new historical period. China and the DPRK have adhered to the original aspiration of friendship for generations, strengthened strategic communication, exchanges and cooperation, firmly supported each other, and safeguarded the common interests of the two countries, fully demonstrating the unbreakable and vigorous vitality of the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK.”

Under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Un, it continued, the DPRK people have actively implemented the spirit of the previous plenary sessions of the Central Committee of the WPK and comprehensively promoted all work of socialist construction. As a good comrade and good neighbour, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that the fraternal DPRK people will continue to make new and greater achievements in the cause of socialist construction.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. During the arduous war years, the peoples of China and the DPRK supported each other, fought side by side, and made important contributions to the just cause of humanity. It is the firm stand of the Chinese party and government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily. The People’s Daily commentary was published in Chinese and has been machine translated.

Chinese embassy marks 64th anniversary of signing of China-DPRK friendship treaty

PYONGYANG, July 10 (Xinhua) — The Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on Wednesday held a reception to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Over 130 diplomats and officials from both sides attended the event.

Addressing the reception, Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun said the bilateral treaty is a document of historical significance as well as a monument marking the friendship between China and the DPRK.

Continue reading China and DPRK mark treaty anniversary

Liberation movement ties recalled and carried forward

China’s diplomatic missions in South Africa and Tanzania have recently highlighted the historical legacy and continued relevance of the bonds of solidarity forged during the struggle for national liberation.

On 17 June, Pan Qingjiang, China’s Consul General in Johannesburg, published an article entitled “Driving Education Culture, Fostering Youth Friendship Between China and South Africa” in various major South African media outlets.

According to an article published by the South African Government News Agency: “In South Africa, Youth Month is celebrated every June following a declaration by our first democratic President, Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. It is a time when we collectively honour the pivotal role that young people played in the struggle against Apartheid and the historic Soweto Uprising of 1976. Every 16 June, as we mark National Youth Day, we not only remember the sacrifices and courage of those young people, but we also renew our commitment to equipping today’s youth for a vibrant future.”

Pan writes: “On the occasion of South Africa’s Youth Month, I wish to extend my sincere festive greetings to all our young friends. The youth are the future of nations and the future of China-South Africa friendship as well… Our nations, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa, enjoy traditional friendship characterised by a strong ‘comradeship plus brotherhood’ bond…. The shared history and common future between China and South Africa are the solid foundation and driving force for the friendship among our youths.

“In June last year, the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg organised a themed short video competition for secondary school learners, encouraging the youth to reflect on both South Africa’s 1976 Soweto Uprising and China’s May Fourth Movement. More than one hundred participants from over twenty schools in Gauteng and the Free State submitted their creative entries in a variety of creative forms, including drama, speech, song, and dance, which vividly portrayed the heroic struggles of both countries against colonial oppression.

“Together, we paid tribute to, learned, and gained strength from the shared legacy of Chinese and South African youth in their pursuit of freedom, justice, and progress.”

The 1976 Soweto Uprising, led by the township youth, spread like a prairie fire across South Africa. Its brutal repression led thousands of young people to leave home and join the ranks of the African National Congress (ANC) and the other liberation movements waging armed struggle against the apartheid regime. It is considered a key turning point in the fight for a free South Africa.

China’s May Fourth Movement, a student-led anti-imperialist uprising, was sparked by the capitulation of the Chinese government to the humiliating terms imposed by the imperialist powers meeting at the 1919 Versailles peace conference. Together with the influence of the October Revolution in Russia, it played a major role in preparing for the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) two years later. Key founders of the CPC, Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu were central leaders of the May Fourth Movement.

After detailing a number of current educational and cultural exchanges between South Africa and China, Pan’s article concludes:

“Like the rising sun, the youth brings brilliant prospects. China and South Africa are bound together by shared history, common developmental tasks and strategic interests. The youth serves as the vanguard in building a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future and advancing our all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.”

Earlier, on May 28, China’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian visited the African Liberation Movement Freedom Fighters Kongwa Camp, together with officials from the Tanzanian government and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party of Tanzania).

The two sides reflected on China’s contributions to Tanzania’s independence and the national liberation of southern Africa, and agreed to strengthen historical sites protection and inheritance, and to promote inter-party and sub-national cooperation between the two countries.

District Council Chairman White Zuberi, who witnessed the national liberation movement, showed Ambassador Chen around the camp and, together with her, recalled the glorious history of mutual support between China and Africa. The camp was built in 1964 and both Mozambique’s founding President Samora Machel and Namibia’s founding President Sam Nujoma were trained there.

The following articles were originally published on the websites of the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg and the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania. They are reproduced here from that of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Consul General in Johannesburg Pan Qingjiang Publishes Signed Article Titled Driving Education Culture, Fostering Youth Friendship Between China and South Africa

June 17 (MFA) — On 17 June, Consul General Pan Qingjiang published a signed article entitled “Driving Education Culture,Fostering Youth Friendship Between China and South Africa” in the mainstream media of South Africa, including the Star, the Mercury, the Cape Times and the IOL website. Full text below:

On the occasion of South Africa’s Youth Month, I wish to extend my sincere festive greetings to all our young friends. The youth are the future of nations and the future of China-South Africa friendship as well. I have been deeply impressed by the confidence, optimism, and ingenuity of the young South African people.

Our nations, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa, enjoy traditional friendship characterized by a strong “comradeship plus brotherhood” bond.

Continue reading Liberation movement ties recalled and carried forward

China and Vietnam jointly promote Red Tourism

The Vietnamese newspaper Nhân Dân recently reported that an exhibition on President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary career in China has been jointly organised by the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History of China and the Ho Chi Minh Museum of Viet Nam as part of the activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the Year of People-to-People Exchange between the two countries.

During his journey to seek a path for liberating the nation, the paper notes, President Ho Chi Minh spent many years in China, including an extremely important period in Guangzhou, Guangdong province from 1924-1927. During this time, he established the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League, the predecessor of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and organised training courses to prepare cadres and build the organisational structure, creating the ideal conditions for the founding of the party.

The exhibition retraces the late Vietnamese leader’s 12 years of revolutionary activities in China and emphasises that, under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh, Chairman Mao Zedong, and other pioneering leaders, the people of Vietnam and China stood together, enduring hardships in their struggles for independence and national liberation. The friendship as comrades plus brothers between Vietnam and China remains a valuable legacy for both nations and will endure for future generations.

Historical sites, it continues, associated with the revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh in China are evidence of his revolutionary journey and serve as important landmarks of Vietnam-China friendship. The Chinese government attaches great importance to preserving these sites, having restored and protected them to enhance their historical value. Today, they serve as “red addresses” – destinations for revolutionary education and people-to-people exchanges, especially among younger generations. The exhibition is scheduled to be held on a rotating basis at several museums in both Vietnam and China.

In a separate article, Nhân Dân reports on the mutual ‘red tourism’ by young people from the two socialist neighbours.

It writes that during her first visit to Vietnam to attend the Vietnam-China Youth Friendship Meeting in April, Huang Chenshen from the China Youth University for Political Studies had listened to speeches by Chinese Party General Secretary Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam, visited Quang Ninh and Ninh Binh provinces, and explored the local culture. What impressed her most was experiencing the cultural life of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities.

The “Red Study Tour” programme of visits to China was proposed by Xi during his April visit to Vietnam. It links together historical sites associated with President Ho Chi Minh and former Chinese leaders, serving as a “living history classroom” that fosters a spirit of solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility among young people for peace and development.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa, former Deputy Director of the Institute for Chinese Studies and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Studies Journal, said that the content of youth exchanges has become increasingly diverse, shifting from general forums to more practical, thematic discussions closely tied to the role of young people in national development and innovation.

The first tour visited China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in May, with the theme, “Following President Ho Chi Minh’s Footsteps”. In addition to visiting historical sites, Guangxi also organised activities for the young delegates to experience artificial intelligence technology and the digital environment. Vietnamese participants were able to visit a robotics lab, experience high-speed train travel, and explore advanced technological applications.

The following articles were originally published by Nhân Dân.

Exhibition spotlights President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary career in China

June 30 (Nhân Dân) — An exhibition on President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary career in China has been jointly held by the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History of China and the Ho Chi Minh Museum of Viet Nam as part of activities to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the Year of Humanistic Exchange 2025 between the two nations.

Continue reading China and Vietnam jointly promote Red Tourism