As the criminal US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week, a new front has opened in the information space. Alongside the bombs and missiles, a set of coordinated Western narratives has emerged targeting China: claiming that Beijing has suffered a strategic failure, that it bears some responsibility for the conflict, or that it hopes to benefit in some way from the carnage. The following editorial from Global Times systematically dismantles all three claims.
The reality is straightforward. China is not a party to this conflict. It did not authorise it, did not seek it, and has nothing to gain from it. What China has done is speak up clearly for international law, denounce illegal aggression, dispatch its special envoy to the region, call for respect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the civilian victims of the war – including the 175 killed in the US bombing of a girls’ school in Minab. As the editorial puts it with blunt precision: “Aside from the Western military-industrial complex profiting from arms sales, there are no winners in this war.”
These narratives targeting China are designed to shift blame, suppress calls for peace, and provide cover for aggression.
The military conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has entered its third week, with the situation remaining complex and tense. Without authorization from the UN Security Council, the US and Israel launched attacks and killed Iran’s supreme leader, deliberately provoking a war against Iran. China is not a party to this conflict. However, some Western narratives have seized the opportunity to fabricate claims aimed at discrediting China. These narratives broadly fall into three categories: the so-called “China failure” narrative, the “China responsibility” narrative, and the “China winner” narrative. Such absurd claims are driven by ulterior motives and thinly veiled political self-interest.
The so-called “China failure” narrative hypes that China’s strategy of turning Iran into a key regional pillar is on the verge of collapse. The facts are clear: China has never been involved in this conflict, nor has it bet on any side. The conflict is the result of unilateral military actions by the US and Israel and has nothing to do with China’s diplomatic or economic strategies. China has actively expanded exchanges and cooperation with various countries including the Middle Eastern states based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. It does not engage in military alliances, bloc confrontation, or proxy wars. Its influence in the Middle East is built on deep and extensive cooperation, which gives it resilience even amid conflict. Where, then, is the so-called “strategic failure”?
Such claims merely reflect a power-politics mind-set obsessed with staking out spheres of influence, one that fails to understand the values of peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit in China’s foreign policy.
China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong made an important statement on his country’s position at a March 13 United Nations Security Council briefing on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Fu began by stating that: “China has just stated its position about the 1737 Committee and its opposition to this meeting and does not intend to comment on the work of the Committee itself. However, as a member of the Security Council, China wishes to emphasise the following points regarding the current situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue and the way forward.”
The 1737 Committee was established following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 on December 23, 2006, which imposed sanctions on Iran.
Having stated this principled opposition, Fu made four key points as follow:
The use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes. Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected. The United States and Israel should immediately stop their military operations, refrain from attacking Iranian nuclear facilities under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards, avoid further escalation, and prevent the conflict from spreading across the entire Middle East.
The Iranian nuclear issue should ultimately return to the track of a political and diplomatic solution. It was the United States unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) that triggered the Iranian nuclear crisis. The United States has also disregarded its own credibility and, together with Israel, twice resorted to the use of force against Iran during the negotiations, causing diplomatic efforts to collapse. Regarding the root cause of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the United States actions violate international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China strongly condemns this. Relevant European countries should stop fuelling tensions and instead play a constructive role in easing the situation.
Fairness and justice must be upheld, and Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as a State Party to the Treaty on the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), must be effectively protected. Iran has repeatedly reaffirmed that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons. Even after its nuclear facilities were attacked, Iran has continued cooperating with the IAEA and engaged in multiple rounds of professional and pragmatic talks with the United States in a constructive spirit. Iran’s sincerity should be taken seriously.
Any action by the Security Council should be aimed at easing tensions and preserving long-term peace and stability in the Middle East. It must be fair and impartial, and must not become a tool for sanctions, pressure, or the political agenda of any individual state. The Security Council should help build trust among parties, bridge differences, and create favourable conditions for the resumption of negotiations, ensuring that the dialogue process can proceed smoothly and effectively in an environment free from the threat of force. Relevant countries should stop engaging in political manipulation at the Security Council.
Meanwhile, on March 17, at a regular press conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China has decided to offer emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq in the hope of easing the humanitarian plight faced by local people.
CGTN, China’s foreign language television service, put the following question to Lin:
Following the bestial war crime committed by the United States on February 28, when it murdered at least 175 civilians, the overwhelming majority of them young schoolgirls, in its missile attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in the southern Iranian town of Minab, the Red Cross Society of China has decided to provide the Red Crescent Society of Iran with US$200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance as special funds to support the bereaved parents.
Announcing the measure at the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s March 13 press conference in Beijing, in response to a question from the Beijing Youth Daily, spokesperson Guo Jiakun added:
“China stands ready to continue providing necessary assistance to Iran in a humanitarian spirit to help the Iranian people get through this difficult time.”
Their exchange reads as follows:
Beijing Youth Daily: The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28. Media reports say that air strikes on Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school in Iran’s Hormozgan province killed over 160 girls. Is China considering providing humanitarian assistance to Iran?
Guo Jiakun: China condemns all indiscriminate attacks against civilians and non-military targets. Attacks on schools and harm to the children, in particular, seriously violate the international humanitarian law and breach the fundamental principles of human conscience. We deeply mourn for the students from Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school in Iran’s Hormozgan province and extend sincere sympathies to their families. The Red Cross Society of China has decided to provide the Red Crescent Society of Iran with US$200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance as special funds to support the bereaved parents. China stands ready to continue providing necessary assistance to Iran in a humanitarian spirit to help the Iranian people get through this difficult time.
The full press conference can be read here. A related report was carried by the Xinhua News Agency.
In an International Manifesto Groupwebinar held on 1 March, prominent Chinese scholar Victor Gao – Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization – gives a powerful critique of the latest Israeli-US aggression against Iran.
Victor correctly characterises the war launched by Israel and the United States as “a war of aggression and a war of injustice”. He goes on to unambiguously uphold Iran’s right to self-defence:
I listened very carefully to UN Secretary-General António Guterres when he spoke at the Security Council of the United Nations. He condemned the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran, which I fully support. But he also condemned the military attacks launched by Iran against quite a few countries in the Middle East.
I tend to disagree with Secretary-General Guterres. Why? Because Iran, in my view, has the full right to strike at any military bases, facilities, installations, or military personnel of the United States in other regions in that part of the world—including, for example, in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and so on.
Otherwise, it would be completely odd for Iran to be attacked in such an aggressive manner by the United States and Israel, and yet be expected to sit like a sitting duck under such military attacks – attempts to overthrow its government, probably also to destroy its civilisation – while being bound by the futility of not striking at the military facilities and installations in its neighbourhood, which most likely have been used one way or another in launching this ongoing attack against Iran.
He proceeds to reiterate China’s orientation towards peace and its clear interest in seeing an end to hostilities: “China’s imported oil accounts for about 75 percent of the total oil we consume annually. Much of that comes from the Middle East, and much of it needs to go through the Strait of Hormuz. So we have a vested interest in keeping peace in the Middle East rather than seeing the continuation of the war and the deterioration of the situation.”
Victor concludes with a stark warning:
The US and its allies want to expand. They want to take over land, oil, gas and other minerals from the legitimate possession of other countries. They want to violate sovereignty and territorial integrity. They want to impose war – and this will not be the last war. They want to impose war after war against other countries. If we do not unite to put a stop to this aggression and war, I think they will push the situation – not only involving Iran, or the Middle East, but the whole world – into an abyss of turmoil, chaos, instability, and destruction.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has repeated his country’s condemnation of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and stressed that China stands for peace in a number of diplomatic exchanges.
Following his March 1 phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the following day Wang spoke with the foreign ministers of Iran, Oman and France.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi briefed Wang Yi on the latest developments of the situation of Iran, noting that the US has launched war against Iran for the second time during their ongoing negotiations. Though the two sides have made positive progress in the latest round of negotiations, the US action violates all international laws and treads and even crosses the red line of Iran. The Iranian side has no choice but to defend itself at all costs. China has made public its voice for fairness and justice, and Iran hopes that China will continue playing a proactive role in preventing the escalation of tensions in the region.
Wang Yi noted that China values the traditional friendship between China and Iran and supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and national dignity and in upholding its legitimate and lawful rights and interests. He said that China has urged the US and Israel to immediately cease military actions to avoid further escalation of tensions and prevent the conflict from expanding and spreading to the entire Middle East region. China believes that under the current grave and complex situation, Iran will maintain its national and social stability, take seriously the legitimate concerns of neighbouring countries, and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Iran. (At least one Chinese citizen has so far been killed as a result of US-Israeli aggression.)
In his conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi noted that under Oman’s mediation, Iran-US negotiations made unprecedented progress, yet regrettably, the US and Israel have cast aside the existing outcomes of the talks and launched a war. If the war continues, it will lead to more casualties and property losses. All parties should work together for an early ceasefire.
Wang Yi said that China appreciates Oman’s active mediation in advancing the negotiations between Iran and the US and its tremendous efforts for safeguarding regional peace. Despite progress in the talks, the US and Israel deliberately provoked a war against Iran, which clearly violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Regarding the spillover of the conflict to states in the Persian Gulf that harbour aggressive US military bases, Wang Yi pointedly noted that China expects that Gulf states will enhance their independence, oppose external interference, develop good neighbourliness, and strengthen solidarity and coordination, so as to truly hold their future firmly in their own hands.
In his call with Wang Yi, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot shared his country’s perspective on the current situation in the Middle East, underscoring that France and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, have special responsibility for upholding international peace and security. The US and Israel did not seek the opinions from the UN Security Council regarding their military action against Iran, nor did they obtain authorisation from the Council. All parties should work together to de-escalate the tensions and resolve such issues as the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation. China has maintained good relations with both Iran and other Gulf states. France looks forward to joining hands with China to proactively ease the situation in the region.
Wang Yi reiterated China’s principled position, stressing that the international community should reject any act that violates international law and refrain from applying double standards. Major countries must not be allowed to attack others at will with their military might, nor should the world revert to the law of the jungle. China hopes that France will uphold an objective and just position, remain calm and rational, and work with China to de-escalate the situation, jointly safeguarding the basic norms of international relations.
On March 3, Wang Yi spoke with the foreign minister of the Zionist entity Gideon Sa’ar.
Wang pointed out that recent negotiations between Iran and the US had been making notable progress, which also took into account Israel’s security concerns. Regrettably, this process has been disrupted by military strikes. China opposes such strikes launched by Israel and the US against Iran. The use of force cannot truly solve problems. China calls for immediate cessation of military actions to prevent the conflict from further escalating and spiraling out of control. Wang further called on Israel to take concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions.
The following brief article by Brian Berletic, originally published on his Twitter/X, addresses a question that has been raised by some anti-imperialist commentators since the launch of the criminal US-Israeli war on Iran: why has China not directly intervened militarily to stop this aggression. Berletic argues that the answer lies primarily in structural and military realities rather than political will.
First, he explains that, in stark contrast to the US, China’s military doctrine focuses on defending its own borders and deterring threats along its periphery. As a result, it lacks the logistical infrastructure and global deployment capacity necessary to intervene in a distant conflict such as a war in West Asia.
Second, he highlights the extensive regional military network the US has spent decades building around Iran. This includes bases, logistics hubs, air defence systems and political alliances with multiple regional states, as well as military occupations in Iraq and Syria. To directly counter a US military operation in this environment, China would need a comparable network of bases and alliances in the region – something it neither possesses nor seeks to establish.
Third, he argues that China deliberately avoids building influence through military domination or occupation, which differentiates its foreign policy from that of the US. Attempting to match Washington’s global military posture would require a fundamentally different approach to foreign relations.
Instead, Berletic suggests China’s support for Iran takes less direct and obvious forms: economic cooperation to mitigate sanctions, technological assistance for domestic defence production, and supplies of military equipment.
He concludes that the constraints facing China – and similarly Russia – reflect practical limits rather than indifference, warning that blaming them for US actions ultimately deflects responsibility from Washington.
Why isn’t China intervening to stop the US war of aggression against Iran?
Somehow this is still a question people are asking, so I will explain.
China’s military is built to defend China within and along its borders against a massive and growing US military build-up all along its peripheries ongoing for decades.
Its forces are organized around hardware designed specifically for this purpose – not to project military power around the globe like the US does – and the US has these capabilities because it is an aggressor – not for national defense.
China literally has no ability to project the military power required to confront and successfully stop a full-scale US war of aggression on the other side of the planet with the capabilities it has for national defense;
In order to launch this war on Iran – the US spent decades building up a network of global and regional bases, logistical networks, ammunition depots, fuel dumps, regional integrated air defense capabilities etc. to first encircle Iran – then attack it.
China would be required to create an equal or greater network throughout the region to stop this- and this simply isn’t possible;
The US built its network up through both politically capturing nations in the region (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait) and invading/occupying them (Iraq & Syria).
China simply doesn’t conduct its foreign policy this way – because if it did – it would be just as bad as the US itself;
If you think China could simply project military power over the horizon – this is even more difficult and unrealistic. This requires huge amounts of long-range aircraft, immense aerial refueling capabilities, and long-range munitions as well as forward bases at least near the region to do so.
Sending naval vessels would simply place them at the mercy of a better prepared and more extensive military positions the US has established over decades as explained above;
What China has likely done is all that it could do – provide economic support against illegal US sanctions, provide technical/material support for Iran’s military industrial production, provide military support through the transfer of weapons and equipment.
All of these have their limits especially in terms of the transfer of military equipment to Iran – which takes YEARS to train Iranian personnel on EFFECTIVELY, as well as to integrate it through training in modern combined arms operations.
This last point regarding the amount of time it takes to effectively integrate new military hardware into a military is exactly why Ukraine has failed to absorb and fully utilize floods of Western weapons and equipment in the US proxy war on Russia being waged there.
CONCLUSION
There are real-world limitations on what nations like Russia and China can do against US wars of aggression elsewhere especially considering the fact the US is waging proxy war on both Russia and China at the same time it wages direct war on Iran.
Russia and China are doing what is realistic and within their capabilities – and are constantly expanding their own capabilities in order to do more when possible.
Do not confuse real limitations with a lack of concern or will – and realize blaming Russia or China for a US WAR OF AGGRESSION simply serves Washington’s agenda – not Iran’s or any of its allies.
China has expressed its firm opposition to and strong condemnation of the brazen US and Israeli aggression against Iran and the murder of the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
In an immediate reaction, following the start of the aggression on February 28, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China is highly concerned over the military strikes against Iran launched by the US and Israel, adding that Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.
The same day, the United Nations Security Council met in emergency session in New York.
Ambassador Fu Cong said: “Today, the United States and Israel brazenly launched military strikes against targets inside Iran, causing a sudden escalation of regional tensions. China is deeply concerned about this development. China consistently advocates that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and opposes and condemns the use or threat of force in international relations. China stresses that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Iran and other regional countries must be respected.”
Speaking on a day when a US-Israeli air strike in the south of Iran hit a primary school, killing at least 148 people, the majority of them schoolgirls, and injuring at least 95 others, Fu added:
“China is deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict. At all times, the red line for protecting civilians in armed conflict must not be crossed, and the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable.”
He also stated that: “China calls for an immediate cessation of military actions to prevent further cycles of escalation. The military strikes occurred at a time when the US and Iran were engaged in diplomatic negotiations, which is shocking. The parties concerned should demonstrate political sincerity, resume dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible, and return to the right track of a political solution.”
On March 1, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that, “China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the attack and killing of Iran’s supreme leader.”
The attack and killing of Iran’s supreme leader is a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security, said the spokesperson, adding that it tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations.
On the same day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the situation in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Wang said that it is unacceptable for the United States and Israel to launch strikes on Iran during the Iran-US negotiations, adding that it is also unacceptable for them to blatantly kill the leader of a sovereign state and incite government change. These actions violate international law and basic norms of international relations.
Wang summarised China’s position in three points:
An immediate cessation of military operations.
A prompt return to dialogue and negotiations.
A joint opposition to unilateral actions. Striking sovereign countries without authorisation of the UN Security Council undermines the foundation of peace established after World War II. The international community should send a clear message against any regression to the law of the jungle.
Sergei Lavrov said that Russia shares the same position with China and stands ready to strengthen coordination and communication with the Chinese side to send a clear signal through platforms such as the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, calling for an immediate cessation of the war and a return to diplomatic negotiations.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
“For a Common Cause: From the Spanish Battlefield to China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” is the title of a major exhibition which opened in August at Beijing’s Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC), marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It will run till the end of 2025.
Through more than 260 photographs, 150 cultural relics and historical footage, the exhibition shows how anti-fascist volunteers of the International Brigades fought bravely on both the Spanish and Chinese battlefronts – unfolding an inspiring chapter of mutual aid in the global struggle against fascism.
A feature article published by the Xinhua News Agency on November 27 notes that: “The International Brigades mobilised over 40,000 volunteers from more than 50 countries to defend the Spanish Republic against forces including those sent from fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during its civil war (1936-1939). They fought in brutal battles such as the Defence of Madrid and the Battle of Jarama, where an estimated 10,000 lives were lost.”
It adds that less widely recognised is the Chinese contribution to this history. Among the International Brigades’ volunteers were more than 100 Chinese, many of whom were CPC members.
One prominent figure was Xie Weijin, who fought under the alias Lin Jishi. He fought in pivotal engagements, sustained two battle wounds, and narrowly avoided amputation. Beyond the frontline, Xie established an orphanage for over 100 children.
In a 1938 speech, Xie crystallised the shared struggle: “The Spanish and Chinese peoples are in a very tense phase of struggle… They are waging a revolutionary war for the national and social liberation of their respective countries, leading the fight against fascism…”
After the International Brigades were withdrawn from Spain that year, a number of internationalist fighters made their way to China, which was the main anti-fascist battlefield in the east. Among them was the Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune. After pioneering a mobile blood-transfusion service in Spain, he arrived in north China in 1938. There, he famously worked 40-hour shifts and championed setting up operating tables near the front lines. Alongside other international medical workers, Bethune saved countless lives and revolutionised battlefield medicine in China.
The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.
“There’s a valley in Spain called Jarama. It’s a place that we all know so well. It was there that we gave of our manhood, where so many of our brave comrades fell.”
These plaintive strains of the folk ballad “Jarama Valley” are more than a memorial — they are a portal to the stories of the International Brigades. This diverse group of anti-fascist fighters, drawn from across continents, now takes center stage in a touching exhibition in Beijing.
Titled “For a Common Cause: From the Spanish Battlefield to China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” the ongoing exhibition opened in August at the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC), marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Through more than 260 photographs, 150 cultural relics and historical footage, the exhibition shows how anti-fascist volunteers of the International Brigades fought bravely on both the Spanish and Chinese battlefronts — unfolding an inspiring chapter of mutual aid in the global struggle against fascism.
“This marks the first time China has contextualized the two battlefields within a single exhibition space, underscoring the united anti-fascist spirit of people across the world,” said Zhao Jiaojian, planner of the exhibition, which will run through the end of 2025.
A staff member introduces exhibits to visitors at the exhibition titled “For a Common Cause: From the Spanish Battlefield to China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression” held at the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
BATTLES IN SPAIN
Organized by the Comintern — an international communist alliance — the International Brigades mobilized over 40,000 volunteers from more than 50 countries to defend the Spanish Republic against forces including those sent from fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during its civil war (1936-1939). They fought in brutal battles such as the Defense of Madrid and the Battle of Jarama, where an estimated 10,000 lives were lost.
Less widely recognized is the Chinese dimension of this chapter. Among the International Brigades’ volunteers were more than 100 Chinese, many of whom were CPC members.
One prominent figure was Xie Weijin, who fought under the alias Lin Jishi. A multilingual individual with military training, Xie rose to lead the Chinese volunteers and serve as the political commissar of an artillery brigade.
He fought in pivotal engagements, sustained two battle wounds, and narrowly avoided amputation. Beyond the frontline, Xie established an orphanage for war-orphaned children, which provided shelter for over 100 children by 1938.
In a speech delivered that year, Xie crystallized the shared struggle: “The Spanish and Chinese peoples are in a very tense phase of struggle… They are waging a revolutionary war for the national and social liberation of their respective countries, leading the fight against fascism…”
Their contributions were acknowledged back in China. A replica of the red banner sent by then CPC leaders to the volunteers in Spain is now displayed at the Beijing exhibition, bearing the inscription: “Unite the peoples of Spain and China! Down with the common foe of mankind — the Fascists!”
The heroic deeds of the volunteers, exemplified by figures like Xie, demonstrated “a commitment to justice that crossed national borders, and constituted an indelible chapter in the global fight against fascism that should never be forgotten,” said Jiang Ying, researcher of the Academy of Military Sciences.
A visitor views a photo of Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune at the exhibition titled “For a Common Cause: From the Spanish Battlefield to China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression” held at the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
THE EASTERN FRONT
As the Spanish Civil War drew to a close in 1938, the International Brigades were officially withdrawn. Following a period of internment in France, the Chinese volunteers returned home to join in China’s nationwide resistance against Japanese aggression.
Yet the tide of internationalism did not recede — it flowed eastward. Foreign fighters redirected their focus from Spain to China, which had become the main theater of the World Anti-Fascist War in the East.
Among these volunteers, the most renowned was Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune, a household name in China. After pioneering a mobile blood-transfusion service in Spain, he arrived in north China in 1938. There, he famously worked 40-hour shifts and championed setting up operating tables near the front lines. Alongside other international medical workers, Bethune saved countless lives and revolutionized battlefield medicine in China.
They were joined by journalists and artists who documented the Chinese people’s arduous struggle for the rest of the world. Among them, Hungarian-American photographer Robert Capa captured the war’s brutal reality in 1937, while Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens arrived in 1938 to produce “The 400 Million” — the first Western documentary to portray China’s resistance in a positive light, galvanizing global support.
“In this exhibition, I can clearly see how the Chinese people assisted foreign revolutionaries and how foreign revolutionaries assisted the Chinese people,” said Lin Tao, a doctoral student at Hunan Normal University, while visiting the exhibition.
This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2025 shows photographic works by Hungarian-American photographer Robert Capa displayed at the exhibition titled “For a Common Cause: From the Spanish Battlefield to China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression” at the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
Many young Chinese visitors like Lin have been profoundly moved by the exhibition, which also highlights the pivotal contributions of International Brigades anti-fascist fighters on the Chinese battlefield.
Decades later, China continues to honor this international solidarity. On the occasion of marking the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II on Sept. 3 this year, the nation expressed sincere gratitude to the foreign governments and individuals who aided its people.
China was the first country to rise against fascist aggression with the longest-lasting resistance that began in 1931. The country tied down and struck over half of Japan’s overseas forces, at the cost of 35 million military and civilian casualties — accounting for approximately one-third of all WWII casualties worldwide.
“The exhibition aims to deepen the understanding that the Chinese people, at a tremendous national cost, made significant contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War,” Zhao told Xinhua.
“Meanwhile, the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression received extensive support from the international community, and the Chinese people will forever cherish these contributions. China will continue to work hand in hand with the rest of the world — and strive tirelessly to build a brighter future for humanity,” Zhao added.
Over the past two months, the US has been engaged in an alarming military buildup around Venezuela, launching lethal strikes in international waters and openly weighing plans for direct attacks on Venezuelan territory. It is the largest US military concentration in the region in decades.
The arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, along with three destroyers and more than 5,500 troops, has heightened fears of imminent assault. The Ford joins roughly 10,000 US troops already stationed in the region. Ostensibly, these deployments are to counter drug trafficking, but Washington has provided exactly zero to substantiate any such threat. Since early September, US forces have carried out at least 19 airstrikes, killing nearly a hundred people on boats in international waters. These attacks have been widely denounced as being extrajudicial killings and blatant violations of international law.
The article below, written by CODEPINK activists Megan Russell and Michelle Ellner for Counterpunch, argues that the escalation against Venezuela is part of a multi-front war – domestically through repression and abroad through sanctions, tariffs, proxy wars and military aggression – to maintain US hegemony; to assert control over natural resources; and to subvert the global trajectory towards a multipolar world. The US push for war against both China and Venezuela “is but a violent reaction to the impending truth that US hegemonic status is slipping, and with it, its control on global resources, political power, and the ability to dictate the terms of development and sovereignty for the rest of the world.”
A similar point is made by Jeremy Corbyn in a piece for the Stop the War Coalition, in which he writes that the attack on Venezuela “is about the United States reasserting power in its (imperially named) ‘backyard’. It is no coincidence that this action is being taken at a time when countries in Latin and South America are looking increasingly towards BRICS trading partners, particularly China. Military intervention is just one part of a concerted assault on multipolarity.”
Megan and Michelle observe that China’s growing partnership with Venezuela provides a crucial counterweight to US hegemonism. Through loans, infrastructure projects, and friendly, mutually respectful relations, China has provided indispensable support for Venezuela’s sovereign development.
China has, over the past few decades, maintained a strong alliance with Venezuela. Starting in the early 2000s, China began providing Venezuela with tens of billions of dollars in loans to be repaid in oil shipments. This has enabled Venezuela to fund social programs and infrastructure while bypassing Western-controlled financial systems like the IMF and World Bank… China has also helped Venezuela build railways, housing projects, and telecommunications infrastructure as part of its broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to foster development across the Global South.
In response to this latest escalation, China has taken a clear and principled stand, continuing to develop its bilateral cooperation with Venezuela and roundly condemning the US’s “unilateral and excessive enforcement operations”, stressing that these violate international law and the UN Charter. China has urged the US to return to proper judicial cooperation frameworks rather than acting as a self-appointed global policeman. In contrast to Washington’s coercion, China’s position rests on respect for sovereignty and international law, and an orientation towards peace.
The article concludes with a call for the broadest possible solidarity:
The struggle against US imperialism is a global struggle. To stand with Venezuela, with China, or with any nation resisting domination is to stand for the possibility of a new internationalism rooted in solidarity across borders. That is our task–to connect these struggles, to see in every act of resistance the reflection of our own, and to build a world of shared humanity and global equality.
Everywhere you look, the United States is at war– at home, through military occupation of cities, institutional violence, and state-sanctioned kidnappings, and abroad, through economic coercion, proxy warfare, and endless intervention. In times like these, when it is far too easy to be overwhelmed by the inexhaustible nature of the war machine, we must remember that these are not separate crises, but different fronts of the same struggle. And to resist one is to resist them all.
The enemy, in every case, is U.S. imperialism.
Resistance movements against U.S. imperialism have sprouted up all over the world in response to its indiscriminate violence and disregard for human life. Together, they form the living front of the international left, a network of people and organizations that seek liberation from the same systems of domination and colonial control. While their forms differ, from student encampments to workers’ strikes, the purpose remains the same: an end to empire and the creation of a new multipolar world rooted in the simple truth of our shared humanity and the equal worth of every nation and people.
The alliance between China and Venezuela is part of this broader project. And the U.S. push for war against both nations is but a violent reaction to the impending truth that U.S. hegemonic status is slipping, and with it, its control on global resources, political power, and the ability to dictate the terms of development and sovereignty for the rest of the world.
In the following article, which originally appeared in the Morning Star, Jenny Clegg reflects on the abiding lessons to be drawn from China’s role in the allied victory over fascism in World War II. She points out:
“That China was the first country to resist fascist aggression, its most consistent opponent, fighting for 14 years (1931-45) at a cost of some 35 million casualties, is little understood in Britain: for most people the victory of WWII was won by the West.
“In fact, the Chinese people’s resistance held down some 50 to 60 per cent of Japan’s forces which otherwise would have been used to intensify the fighting in the Pacific and Burma theatres, even opening up a second front against the USSR. Had the USSR not been able to concentrate all its forces against Hitler, the Allies’ war in Europe could well have been lost.”
Jenny, whose father Arthur Clegg led the work of the China Campaign Committee in the 1930s and 1940s, was one of the delegation of family members of those foreign friends and comrades who supported the Chinese people during the war, who were invited to Beijing to attend the 80th anniversary commemoration of victory. She notes:
“China’s display of military defence on September 3 was in total contrast to its weak and divided state in the 1930s in the face of Japanese aggression, a reassurance to the Chinese people that their sacrifices of over eighty years ago would not occur again.”
Chinese society itself was transformed in the course of the war: “Class and gender relations were shattered as the Westernised city-elites began to rebuild their lives in the semi-feudal hinterland, the urban and the rural mixing together… Forging close links between the party, army and rural population, Mao saw resistance as integral to the revolutionary process, transforming the national democratic movement in due course into a social revolution.”
Today: “We cannot understand international developments without understanding the rise of China, and we cannot understand China without understanding both its transformation through war and its transformative role in WWII.”
Jenny presented a similar analysis in her contribution to the webinar on ‘World War Against Fascism: Remembering China’s Role in Victory 80 Years On’, organised by Friends of Socialist China and the International Manifesto Group on September 21.
At China’s Victory Day parade on September 3, Xi Jinping delivered a warning — the world stands at a crossroads between peace and war, and to prevent a catastrophic conflict engulfing the world again, nations must learn from history.
That China was the first country to resist fascist aggression, its most consistent opponent, fighting for 14 years (1931-45) at a cost of some 35 million casualties, is little understood in Britain: for most people the victory of WWII was won by the West.
In fact the Chinese people’s resistance held down some 50 to 60 per cent of Japan’s forces which otherwise would have been used to intensify the fighting in the Pacific and Burma theatres, even opening up a second front against the USSR. Had the USSR not been able to concentrate all its forces against Hitler, the Allies’ war in Europe could well have been lost.
Japan’s expansion into the Pacific in 1941 forced Churchill and Roosevelt to recognise China as an ally and an equal. Britain abrogated the Unequal Treaties (barring Hong Kong) in January 1943, and, as an allied power, China became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945. Why has all this been forgotten in the West and why should we remember this today?
China’s display of military defence on September 3 was in total contrast to its weak and divided state in the 1930s in the face of Japanese aggression, a reassurance to the Chinese people that their sacrifices of over eighty years ago would not occur again.
China’s war dates from Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931, an aggression which shattered the League of Nations’ fragile structure of peace. Local resistance was brutally suppressed but Chiang Kaishek chose instead to concentrate his forces against the CPC’s bases.
Beyond words of condemnation, the world’s major powers took no action, emboldening Japan and the forces of fascism worldwide further. Japan’s invasion of 1937, following the 1936 German-Japan Anti-Comintern pact, was an act of world war. Under pressure from the left wing of the KMT, Chiang ended the anti-communist drive, joining the CPC-initiated United Front to resist the aggression.
The Chinese people stood virtually alone. While Britain leaned towards appeasement, even closing China’s supply route along the Burma Road in 1940, US loans came too little and too late. For a couple of years, the USSR supplied military and financial aid, sending advisers and volunteer pilots under a secret agreement with the KMT. The heroic 10-month stand of Wuhan in 1938 against grinding Japanese savagery, gained China a high international profile.
The following article, originally published by China Daily, movingly describes the little known but heroic story of the guerrilla struggle waged under the leadership of the Communist Party of China against the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
Journalist Li Xiang writes: “The agonised cry, ‘If I die, avenge me!’ has echoed in Lam Chun’s mind for 82 years. It was May 1943 in Kowloon City, when Japanese soldiers dragged her 23-year-old sister, Lam Chin, into their home. The accusation was theft – a charge fabricated after she rejected a soldier’s advances. A laundry worker at the Japanese barracks, Lam Chin was subjected to a relentless beating, with rifle butts smashing against her bones.”
“That day left a deep impression on me,” Lam Chun, now 90, recalled. “It wasn’t a day for just our family’s shame, but also the nation’s suffering.”
What her tormentors didn’t know was that Lam Chin was secretly smuggling intelligence for guerrillas led by the Communist Party of China in their fight to liberate Hong Kong.
That night, as her family dressed her wounds, Lam Chin revealed her secret. A former leader in the student movement supporting the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), she had long been fighting back. Her suffering, coupled with this revelation, became a call to arms – not just for vengeance, but for victory.
“If we’re beaten for no reason at home, we might as well fight,” Lam Chun remembered her mother declaring.
Within months, Lam Chun, her mother, and her brother joined the Hong Kong Independent Battalion – her sister’s unit. Nearly 1,000 strong and composed almost entirely of locals, the battalion became a relentless foe to Japan after its December 8, 1941, invasion of Hong Kong.
The then-British colony’s defences collapsed in just 18 days – a swift defeat that historians see as emblematic of Britain’s halfhearted commitment to defending the colony.
Now, as the last survivors fade, their stories – once buried under colonial and wartime politics – have resurfaced. Their resistance played a crucial role in the broader Allied effort to defeat fascism and weaken the Japanese war machine.
“Many Hong Kong families joined the resistance together – fighting as one,” said Lam Chun, now President of the Society of the Veterans of the Original Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, which documents this wartime heroism.
Few embodied this spirit more than the Law family of Sha Tau Kok, with nine of its 11 members taking up arms as guerrillas. Born in 1930, Law King-fai grew up amid the resistance efforts. His childhood was defined by the cause and even as a toddler he was taught patriotic songs.
“Fight the Japanese, fight the Japanese! Down with Japanese imperialism, protect our homeland!” the 95-year-old recalled, singing along.
Hong Kong is launching a series of events to educate its youth on national history and commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the war. The initiative includes exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, and exchange tours to historical sites on the Chinese mainland. “It’s not fair for those who gave their lives decades ago that today’s Hong Kong youth don’t even know the history,” Chan Hoi-lun said, citing the colonial-era authorities’ neglect of local efforts to fight Japanese aggression. Chan Hoi-lun is the daughter of Tsau Sheung-ling, who played a key role in one of the war’s boldest missions, in which over 800 Chinese cultural figures, their relatives, and soldiers of international allies were smuggled out of occupied Hong Kong.
At a recent forum, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu underscored the city’s significant role in China’s war efforts. He cited the city’s work in shipping war supplies, rescue operations, and front-line defence, embodied by brave groups like the Hong Kong Independent Battalion.
In a recent interview with China Daily, Hong Kong lawmaker Chan Yung, Vice Chair of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), said that while history education has improved significantly since the 1997 handover, more must be done to strengthen the understanding of national history, particularly amid current global tensions.
The agonized cry, “If I die, avenge me!” has echoed in Lam Chun’s mind for 82 years.
It was May 1943 in Kowloon City, when Japanese soldiers dragged her 23-year-old sister, Lam Chin, into their home. The accusation was theft — a charge fabricated after she rejected a soldier’s advances.
On September 22, the Chinese Embassy in Ireland hosted a reception to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and 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. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Xiyuan and Ceann Comhairle [Speaker of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament] Verona Murphy delivered speeches.
In his speech, Ambassador Zhao Xiyuan said: “Over the past 76 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have forged ahead with determination, continuously advancing Chinese modernisation. These 76 years have also seen China making increasingly significant contributions to world peace, global development, and the progress of humanity. China has historically eradicated absolute poverty, lifting over 800 million people out of destitution and achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s poverty reduction goal a full decade ahead of schedule, contributing more than 70% to global poverty alleviation. Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, over 40 million people in developing countries have been lifted out of poverty.”
He added that: “While celebrating these achievements, China will never forget its journey. Eighty years ago, China was a war-torn and impoverished nation just extricating itself from foreign aggression. China had borne 35 million casualties, accounting for one third of total lost lives in the Second World War. The Western front of the Second World War is often marked by Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. Yet even earlier, on September 18, 1931, the Chinese people fired the first shot of resistance against Japanese aggression in Northeast China, marking the beginning of the Eastern front. China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was the earliest, longest, and most costly campaign of the global Anti-Fascist War. China’s victory on the Eastern front prevented Japanese militarism from joining forces with European fascists, making a vital contribution to the final victory of the Second World War.
“China, though ravaged by war, was never isolated. Doctors, journalists, merchants, and artists from around the world came to China, transforming scalpels, typewriters, and cameras into instruments of rescue. Chinese people will always remember Father Patrick Maurice Connaughton, an Irish bishop born in Galway, who actively raised funds for Chinese people during the war, provided relief to displaced civilians, and supported the education of children amid the devastation of war.”
He also said that: “Over the 46 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Ireland have deepened exchanges and cooperation across politics, economy, science and technology, and culture, bringing tangible benefits to both peoples. China appreciates Ireland’s commitment to the one-China policy and is ready to work together to implement the consensus reached by the two state leaders, strengthen high-level mutual trust, deepen high-quality cooperation, and advance our Strategic Partnership of Mutual Benefit, jointly contributing to a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous future.
The Xinhua News Agency recently carried an article on how a discovery, “tucked away in Manchester’s People’s History Museum, a fragile, yellowing notebook – its cover emblazoned with bold red letters reading ‘E.R.C (The East River Column) and the Allies’ – bears witness to one of the World Anti-Fascist War’s most extraordinary partnerships.”
“It is the first time that an archive drafted and collected by Raymond Wong, or Huang Zuomei, has been discovered by Xinhua. This rare document sheds new light on the story of the East River Column, a resistance force led by the Communist Party of China in southern China that fought Japanese aggressors… Its rediscovery offers a vivid reminder of how Chinese and other allied forces once stood shoulder to shoulder against fascism.”
The East River Column was primarily active in Guangdong Province and in Hong Kong, including the New Territories.
In June 1947, the London Gazette listed Wong as one of the recipients of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), awarded by King George VI, “for services to the Forces during military operations in South-East Asia prior to 2nd September 1945.”
One entry in the notebook recalls February 11, 1944, when US pilot Donald Kerr from the Chinese-American Composite Wing was shot down by Japanese forces over Hong Kong. Two female guerrillas from the East River Column found him in the New Territories and escorted him to safety. Kerr later penned a heartfelt letter of gratitude, which is now part of the collection.
The records detail at least 80 allied servicemen rescued by the East River Column, including British soldiers, Indian troops and American pilots. General Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the US 14th Air Force, reportedly cabled that “without your utmost cooperation, the result of this war would be very difficult to accomplish.”
In 1947, Wong was a co-founder of the London Bureau of the Xinhua News Agency. Its first office was in Soho’s Gerard Street, which today is the centre of London’s Chinatown. However, at the time, Gerard Street had no Chinese connections, with London’s first Chinatown being in East London’s Limehouse.
It is interesting to note that the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese Seamen’s Union (CSU) was instrumental in the formation of the East River Column. One of Wong’s co-founders of the Xinhua London Bureau was the Jamaican-born Sam Chinque ( Chen Tiansheng; Sam Chen), who had organised and led the CSU’s Liverpool Branch.
The Xinhua article continues: “Wong’s devotion to his country was indeed profound. After founding Xinhua’s London Bureau in 1947, he returned to Hong Kong and served as the director of the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua News Agency in 1949. In April 1955, Huang was killed aboard the Kashmir Princess, the aircraft destroyed by a bomb planted by Kuomintang agents en route to Indonesia’s Bandung Conference.”
It is widely believed that the aircraft was bombed in the mistaken belief that Premier Zhou Enlai was to travel on it to Bandung.
A detailed study of the East River Column, ‘East River Column – Hong Kong Guerrillas in the Second World War and After’ by Chan Sui-jeung was published by Hong Kong University Press in 2009 and is distributed by The University of Chicago Press.
The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.
Tucked away in Manchester’s People’s History Museum, a fragile, yellowing notebook — its cover emblazoned with bold red letters reading “E.R.C (The East River Column) and the Allies” — bears witness to one of the World Anti-Fascist War’s most extraordinary partnerships.
The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) (CPCML) issued a special supplement of their online newspaper on September 6 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
In its opening article, CPC(ML) writes: “The contribution made by the peoples of China to the cause of liberating humankind from the scourge of Nazi fascism and Japanese militarism and ending World War II was colossal.
“On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the victory of the worldwide Anti-Fascist War, the peoples of the world pay homage to the 35 million Chinese who died in that war and all the heroes who faced the Japanese onslaught and its unprecedented brutality. They join the Chinese people in recalling the events of the war, the leadership of Mao Zedong, one of the outstanding revolutionary anti-imperialist fighters of the 20th century, and in recognising their contributions.”
The party notes that, “Events have recalled the events which took place and the heroism of the people, fully aware that their exceptional courage and ingenuity pinned down some 1.86 million Japanese soldiers, 50 per cent of its total force, preventing their deployment elsewhere,” adding, “Japan has never recognised the heinous crimes it committed in China during its 14 years of occupation.”
But as the article, notes, between 1942 and 1945, the Japanese military carried out the ‘Three-Alls’ Policy against the Chinese people: kill all, burn all and loot all. Besides committing massacres of civilians like the Rape of Nanjing and using biological and germ warfare against the people, the Japanese abducted close to 200,000 Chinese women and girls, forcing them into sex-slavery for the Japanese military. Close to 100 million people were displaced and became refugees.
On the auspicious occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory, the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) pays its deepest respects to the heroic Chinese people and the peoples of Asia who, organised and led by the communists, stopped the Japanese aggressors in their tracks. Along with the Soviet Red Army and the anti-fascist forces of the world, they secured the peace.
CPC(M-L) salutes the Chinese people and their stunning accomplishments in liberating China and turning it into a modern nation, second to none.
CPC(M-L) also pays tribute to the Canadian communist, Dr. Norman Bethune, whose internationalism and selfless medical services to the Chinese people’s war of resistance are the foundation of the fraternal ties of peace and friendship between the Canadian and Chinese people. This friendship is bound to prevail as together the peoples of the world rise to the challenge of coming revolutionary storms.
CPC(M-L) decries the absence of a high-level Canadian delegation in Beijing for China’s Victory Day Celebrations. Canada has joined the US and NATO countries in boycotting the celebrations, thus refusing to acknowledge China’s contributions to the fight against Nazi fascism and Japanese militarism. So too, these warmongering governments boycotted this year’s Victory Day celebrations in Russia on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi fascism in Europe.
CPC(M-L) also condemns Canada’s participation in war exercises the US is holding in the Asia-Pacific to threaten China. Particularly shameful are the war exercises held on the occasion of the V-Day celebrations, with Japan playing a leading role.
“For Canada to condone this and refuse to join the celebrations, is unacceptable. While the government boycotts the 80th Anniversary events, the peoples of Canada and worldwide join the Chinese peoples in celebrating these victories.
China has strongly condemned the Israeli bombing of Qatar on September 9.
Speaking at a September 11 meeting of the United Nations Security Council called by Algeria, Pakistan and Somalia, and held in the presence of the Prime Minister of Qatar as well as senior representatives of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ambassador Fu Cong described the attack as being, “in flagrant violation of Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security, international law and the UN Charter, and efforts to achieve peace. China resolutely opposes this and strongly condemns such an act.”
He added: “It is well known that Qatar, as an important mediator in the ceasefire negotiations, has made great efforts to promote the ceasefire and restore peace in Gaza, which has been highly appreciated by the international community. We note that on September 7, the US put forward a new ceasefire proposal and claimed that Israel had agreed to it. However, just two days later, a Hamas delegation discussing the ceasefire proposal was attacked by Israel. Such an act of bad faith, irresponsibility, and deliberate sabotage of the negotiations is indeed despicable.”
Referring to the United States in particular, Ambassador Fu stated: “We would like to advise these major countries, in the interest of regional peace and stability, to take a fair and responsible stance and play a constructive role along with the international community in promoting a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and in easing tensions in the region.”
He also said that: “The Gaza conflict has been going on for almost two years, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe that is appalling and unprecedented in nature. During this period, we have witnessed over and over again the violation of international law and the undermining of the basic norms of international relations. The world should not return to the law of the jungle, and the Middle East should not remain in a state of perpetual war.”
The previous day, at the regular press conference given by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, Spokesperson Lin Jian was asked by China-Arab TV for China’s response to the attack. He replied:
“China strongly condemns the attack yesterday in Doha, Qatar and firmly opposes Israel’s violation of Qatar’s territorial integrity and national security. We are deeply concerned that the attack could lead to further escalation in the region and disapprove of the actions taken by relevant parties to deliberately jeopardise Gaza ceasefire talks. Use of force will not bring peace to the Middle East. Dialogue and negotiation is the fundamental way out. It will soon be two years since the conflict broke out in Gaza. China strongly calls on relevant sides, especially Israel, to make an effort to end the fighting and resume talks, instead of the other way around.”
As a follow up, Global Times requested comment on reports that Israel gave the United States prior notice of its attack. Lin Jian replied:
“We are deeply concerned over relevant reports. Israel’s air strike on Hamas targets in Doha severely violated Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security and will escalate the tensions in the region. This has everything to do with the deeply tilted position of certain non-regional country on the Middle East issue. We urge certain major country to act in the interest of regional peace and stability, adopt a just and responsible stance, and work with the international community to play a constructive role for stopping the conflict and easing the tensions.”
A few days later, on Tuesday 16 September, the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council held an urgent debate regarding Israel’s attack, at the request of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Chen Xu, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, delivered a speech pointing out that Israel’s attack on Qatar constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security, contravenes international law and the UN Charter and undermines peace efforts. Global Times reports:
“Chen emphasized that the abuse of force is not the solution to resolving issues. China calls on all relevant parties, especially Israel, to make more positive efforts to cease hostilities and resume negotiations, earnestly fulfill their obligations under international human rights law and humanitarian law, and respect the right to life of people in neighboring countries. China stands ready to work with the international community to play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire, ending the conflict, and easing regional tensions, Chen stated.”
As part of its commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the war to resist Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war, China has remembered Scottish people who stood alongside them in those difficult years.
In an article entitled, “We will never forget the Scottish heroes who made contributions and sacrifices for the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War”, published on its website on August 28, China’s Consulate-General in the Scottish capital Edinburgh writes:
“The Chinese people will never forget that during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War – a struggle that determined the future and destiny of humanity – a great number of Scots made contributions and sacrifices for the victory of this war. They were Scottish warriors, but also heroes of the world. Among them were the great internationalist fighter Dr. Norman Bethune, heir to a Scottish family of doctors, whom Chairman Mao Zedong praised as ‘a man of noble character, a man of pure spirit, a man of moral integrity, a man free from vulgar interests, a man who was of benefit to the people,’ and who is still deeply remembered by hundreds of millions of Chinese people; Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic champion who traveled to China to support the Eighth Route Army’s resistance against Japanese Aggression and who passed away in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp; the valiant Scottish soldiers who fought side by side with the Chinese Expeditionary Force on the Burmese battlefield; and countless unnamed Scottish heroes who suffered inhumane atrocities in Japanese POW camps in the Far East.”
According to the Consulate-General: “The British survivors from the Japanese Far East prisoner-of-war camps were all required not to talk about their ordeals in captivity. As a result, the world knows little of their stories. Even after their passing away, their families continue to search for traces of their experiences in the camps – an awakening agony that we should be aware of, a conviction that justice will ultimately triumph over evil, and a historical truth that must never be concealed.”
The article does not elaborate but this doubtless relates to the way in which US and British imperialism sought to prevent the punishment of Japanese war criminals or to demilitarise the country, within the context of the Cold War, where yesterday’s enemy soon became a frontline, if subordinate, ally against the Soviet Union and the forward march of communism in Asia, specifically against the Chinese revolution and the wars of liberation in Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
The article concludes: “We pay tribute to the Scottish heroes who made contributions and sacrifices for human progress and for the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Scots who suffered in the Japanese POW camps in the Far East during World War II.”
On September 9, the Xinhua News Agency devoted a feature article to the legacy of Eric Liddell:
“To most Scots, the name ‘Eric Liddell’ needs no introduction. Known as the ‘Flying Scotsman,’ his story has become part of national legend. Yet few realise that the Olympic champion who once stunned the world later spent much of his life in China, where he taught and preached, but finally died in a Japanese internment camp.”
Xinhua correspondents Zheng Bofei and Jin Jing write: “At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Eric Liddell captured gold in the men’s 400 metres in 47.6 seconds, setting a new Olympic and world record. Upon returning to Edinburgh, Liddell was honoured as a hero by schools, churches and sports clubs across Scotland… A century later, he remains one of Scotland’s most admired sports figures, topping the public vote when inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.”
But after the Paris Olympics, the devout Christian made a choice that again surprised many: he returned to Tianjin, the northern Chinese city of his birth. Born in 1902 to Scottish missionary parents, he had spent his early years in China before returning to Britain.
In Tianjin, he taught at an Anglo-Chinese college and left a visible legacy in sports by helping to design and promote the Minyuan Stadium. Modeled after London’s Stamford Bridge (home of Chelsea Football Club), the stadium became one of Asia’s most advanced sporting venues at the time, hosting international competitions and serving as a training ground where Liddell himself won several medals.
The following article by Carlos Martinez, a condensed version of which appeared in Beijing Review on 3 September, highlights the often-overlooked role of China in the global victory against fascism during World War II. While mainstream accounts foreground the US and Britain, Carlos stresses that China was the first nation to wage war against fascist occupation and sustained the longest campaign, suffering 35 million casualties and massive displacement.
Japanese aggression began with the invasion of northeast China in 1931. For six years, Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) prioritised suppressing the Communists over resisting Japan. Resistance in the northeast was led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), supported by the Soviet Union and joined by Korean fighters (including Kim Il Sung). Mounting student protests and patriotic pressure culminated in the 1936 Xi’an Incident, forcing Chiang into an United Front with the CPC, enabling a coordinated national resistance after Japan’s full-scale invasion in 1937.
The CPC’s people’s war strategy mobilised peasants and established base areas for guerrilla operations, and landmark battles such as Pingxingguan and the Hundred Regiments Campaign broke Japan’s aura of invincibility. Despite being subjected to some of history’s most horrific war crimes, including the Nanjing Massacre, Chinese forces tied down over a million Japanese troops—two-thirds of Japan’s military strength—crippling Tokyo’s expansionist plans and bolstering Allied success in both Europe and the Pacific.
The war had a decisive role in ending China’s century of humiliation, re-establishing its status as a major power, and laying the foundations for the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. Globally, China’s resistance not only contributed to fascism’s defeat but also inspired anti-colonial struggles across Asia. Carlos concludes:
The courage, sacrifice, daring and strategic brilliance demonstrated by the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression form an indelible chapter in the history of the struggle for a world free from fascism, militarism, colonialism and imperialism.
The second of September 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, bringing an end to World War 2.
China’s role in the war, and indeed the very existence of the Pacific Theatre, has to a significant degree been written out of history. In his book China’s War with Japan: 1937 – 1945, British historian Rana Mitter writes that, “for decades, our understanding of [World War 2] has failed to give a proper account of the role of China. If China was considered at all, it was as a minor player, a bit-part actor in a war where the United States, Soviet Union and Britain played much more significant roles” (Rana Mitter, 2014. China’s War with Japan: 1937 – 1945; the Struggle for Survival. Penguin Books, p5).
However, China was the first country to wage war against fascist occupation, and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was of decisive importance to the overall global victory over fascism. In the course of 14 years of war (1931-45), China suffered over 35 million casualties, and around 20 percent of its people were made refugees.
The war started in 1931
Following its emergence as a capitalist country in the second half of the 19th century, Japan had been steadily expanding its colonial ambitions in relation to China, Korea and the Russian Far East. Taiwan, the Penghu Islands and the Liaodong Peninsula were ceded by China to Japan in 1895 under the terms of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, at the conclusion of the First Sino-Japanese War.
In the following report, our co-editor Keith Bennett reflects on witnessing the grand parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Global Anti-Fascist War.
Keith notes that the parade impressively showcased advanced military technology—ranging from hypersonic missiles and drones to nuclear-capable systems—demonstrating China’s defensive strength. Yet, the article stresses, China’s military power is not for domination but to safeguard the Chinese people and contribute to world peace.
President Xi’s address summed up the principal lesson of China’s victory: that justice will prevail, peace will prevail and the people will prevail. Keith observes:
That this vision enjoys ever greater support was shown by the presence of more than two dozen heads of state and government, along with numerous other dignitaries, the majority of them from the Global South, or Global Majority. This underlined, as did the largest ever gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation just two days previously, that the days when a handful of colonialist, imperialist or hegemonist powers could dominate world affairs have gone forever. If some countries choose to stay away from or seek to undermine this inexorable multipolar dynamic it will only precipitate their decline.
To be able to witness the grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was an unforgettable experience.
As President Xi pointed out, this was the first complete victory won by the Chinese people in their struggle against foreign aggression and also made a major contribution to the triumph of the people of the world against fascism.
China had promised to show the world the advances in its defensive capabilities. And with an array of new equipment displayed for the first time, including nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles; a land, sea and air nuclear triad; all-weather hypersonic missiles; reconnaissance and strike drones; unmanned ship-based helicopters; advanced electronic counter-measure equipment; cyberspace warfare equipment; unmanned aerial vehicles; hypersonic anti-ship missiles; long range artillery and new generation tanks, among others, it certainly didn’t disappoint on that front.
But that was not all that left a lasting impression. Unlike some other countries, China’s military might is not there to dominate others, not to bully, oppress, occupy or exploit, but solely to provide a secure basis, a great wall of iron and steel, for the Chinese people to live a peaceful and happy life and to help secure, preserve and defend world peace.
In stark contrast to those who grotesquely speak of other countries being “on the menu”, President Xi again pledged his country to peaceful development. Only when nations across the world treat each other as equals and mutually support one another, he pointed out, can the root cause of war be eliminated, and can we prevent historical tragedies from recurring, by building a community of shared future for humanity.
The lesson of the great victory, he pointed out, was that justice will prevail, peace will prevail and the people will prevail.
That this vision enjoys ever greater support was shown by the presence of more than two dozen heads of state and government, along with numerous other dignitaries, the majority of them from the Global South, or Global Majority. This underlined, as did the largest ever gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation just two days previously, that the days when a handful of colonialist, imperialist or hegemonist powers could dominate world affairs have gone forever. If some countries choose to stay away from or seek to undermine this inexorable multipolar dynamic it will only precipitate their decline.
The western media may express consternation, whether real or feigned, at the foregrounding of Russian President Vladimir Putin and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un among the honoured foreign guests. They choose to overlook the undeniable fact that it was the peoples of China and the Soviet Union who made the greatest national sacrifice to rid the world of fascist barbarism and save human civilisation. And they equally choose to overlook that Kim Jong Un’s own grandfather fought shoulder-to-shoulder with his Chinese comrades-in-arms against the Japanese aggressors in northeast China. All this found poignant expression as the three leaders greeted war veterans together at the start of the ceremony.
Many other things touched me today. The culmination featuring the release of 80,000 doves and 80,000 multicoloured balloons, reminding us that everything China does is for the sake of peace.
The pride, passion and patriotism with which service men and women and civilians alike joined in singing the national anthem and the Ode to the Motherland.
As you would expect for an event of this scale, organisation was meticulous and logistics were complex but flawless. Security was, of course, necessarily tight. But unlike in any capitalist country none of the security personnel carried arms. And whilst they were there to assist people as much as anything else, they were by far outnumbered by the kind, self-confident and enthusiastic young women and men volunteers one encountered every few steps, on hand to offer whatever help anyone might need. Every one of them a credit to socialist China and a guarantee of its bright future. Every one of them able to realise their dreams thanks to the heroes and martyrs who laid down their lives 80 years ago.
In the following interview on Al Arabiya, broadcast on 18 June 2025, prominent Chinese scholar Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization, gives a powerful critique of the Israeli-US aggression against Iran.
Noting that China has excellent relations with Iran, and that China respects Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Gao states that China does not recognise the extraterritoriality of any country’s unilateral sanctions against another country, and therefore does not accept the US’s sanctions against Iran. He goes on to clearly reiterate the Chinese government’s position in relation to Israel’s criminal aggression, pointing out that Israel violated international law, unilaterally launching a war against a sovereign country.
China really deplores Israel’s military attack on nuclear facilities inside Iran and considers it a very serious offence against world peace and security.
While condemning Israel’s aggression, Gao notes that Iran’s military response is justified and legitimate, as a defence of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Victor Gao also points to the outrageous hypocrisy of Israel’s supposed justification for its aggression, that is, that Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons. Given that Israel itself possesses nuclear weapons, and that it has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, this accusation is a blatant double standard. “I don’t think there’s a higher level of double standards and hypocrisy than that.”
Commenting on US president Trump’s suggestion that the US might assassinate the Iranian leadership, Gao opines that “assassination of heads of state, political or military leaders, or religious figures is unacceptable in today’s world”. As such, he urges the US to maintain a minimum level of decency in its international relations, and to use its influence to de-escalate the situation rather than inflame it.
Following the US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran, the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Sunday, June 22, 2025.
Addressing the meeting, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said:
“Yesterday, the United States conducted attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]. The actions of the United States seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, as well as Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. They have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East and dealt a heavy blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The international community must uphold justice and make concrete efforts to cool down the situation and restore peace and stability.”
Russia, China, and Pakistan, the Ambassador said, have proposed a draft resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, protection of civilians, respect for international law, and engagement in dialogue and negotiation.
I thank you for convening this emergency meeting. I also thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his statement and Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča and Director General Rafael Grossi for their briefings.
Yesterday, the United States conducted attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA. The actions of the United States seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, as well as Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. They have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East and dealt a heavy blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The international community must uphold justice and make concrete efforts to cool down the situation and restore peace and stability. In this connection, I wish to put forward four appeals.
First, we call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the hostilities. In the context of the abrupt escalation of tensions in the Middle East, China is deeply concerned about the risk of the situation getting out of control. The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should reach an immediate ceasefire to prevent a spiraling escalation and to resolutely avoid the spillover of the war. The parties concerned should abide by international law, curb the impulse to use force, and avoid exacerbating conflicts and adding fuel to the fire.
Second, we call for effective protection of civilians. The ultimate victims of all conflicts are the innocent people. China is deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict. Civilians and the civilian facilities must not become targets of military operations, and the bottom line of international humanitarian law must not be breached. Parties to the conflict should place the interest and well-being of the people of the countries in the region above everything else, and make every effort to avoid harm to innocent civilians and refrain from attacking civilian facilities.
Third, we call for commitment to dialogue and negotiation. Peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved by the use of force. Dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental way out. At present, diplomatic means to address the Iranian nuclear issue have not been exhausted, and there is still hope for a peaceful solution. Parties should stay firmly committed to the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue and work to bring it back onto the track of a political solution through dialogue and negotiation, with a view to reaching an agreement acceptable to all parties.
Fourth, we call for swift actions by the Security Council. The Security Council shoulders the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It cannot stand idly by in the face of a major crisis. Russia, China, and Pakistan have proposed a draft resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, protection of civilians, respect for international law, and engagement in dialogue and negotiation. We hope that Council members can demonstrate their strong sense of responsibility by jointly supporting the draft resolution, to enable the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
China stands ready to work with the international community to foster synergy, uphold justice, and make unremitting efforts to restore peace and stability in the Middle East.
