Remembering History Is to Better Create the Future

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must take history as a mirror, draw wisdom and strength from the profound lessons of the Second World War and the great victory of the anti-fascist war, resolutely oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and jointly create a better future for humanity.” In 2025, we greet the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. China will hold commemorative activities such as a military parade, with the aim of remembering history, honouring the martyrs, cherishing peace, and creating the future. This is not only a respect for history but also embodies a major responsibility oriented toward the future. However, Japanese right-wing forces ignore historical truth, shift responsibility to “whitewash” themselves, refuse to admit guilt and repent, publish many erroneous statements, and openly provoke international fairness and justice. This dangerous tendency to deny the history of aggression must be watched with great vigilance and severely condemned. In this context, taking history as a mirror, upholding a correct view of WWII history, and firmly defending international fairness and justice are of great significance.

习近平总书记指出：“我们要以史为鉴，从第二次世界大战的深刻教训和反法西斯战争的伟大胜利中汲取智慧和力量，坚决反对一切形式的霸权主义和强权政治，共同创造人类更加美好的未来。”2025年，我们迎来中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年，中国举行阅兵等纪念活动，旨在铭记历史、缅怀先烈、珍爱和平、开创未来。这不仅是对历史的尊重，更体现了面向未来的重大责任。然而，日本右翼势力罔顾历史真相，推卸责任“洗白”自己，拒不认罪悔罪，发表诸多错误言论，公然挑衅国际公平正义。这种否定侵略历史的危险倾向必须高度警惕、严厉谴责。在此背景下，以史为鉴，坚持正确二战史观，坚定捍卫国际公平正义，具有十分重要的意义。

Upholding a correct view of WWII history is necessary for revering history and respecting historical truth. History is the best textbook and also the best sobering agent. The Chinese theatre, as the Eastern Main Battlefield, held an irreplaceable important position in the World Anti-Fascist War. The Eastern Main Battlefield was the theatre in the World Anti-Fascist War that started the earliest, lasted the longest, and caused the greatest national sacrifice. In 1931, Japan deliberately engineered the September 18 Incident [1]1 The September 18 Incident (1931) was a staged event by Japanese militarists as a pretext to invade Northeast China, marking the start of Japan’s full-scale aggression against China., posing a serious threat to peace and stability in the Far East and even the entire world. The Communist Party of China was the first to raise the banner of armed resistance against Japan, uniting and leading the Chinese people to open up the Eastern Main Battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War. From 1931 to 1945, the Chinese people fought bloody battles for 14 years, effectively pinning down and resisting the main forces of Japan, winning precious time for the formation of the international anti-fascist united front and the victory of the Allied nations. During the War of Resistance, Chinese military and civilian casualties exceeded 35 million, accounting for about one-third of the total casualties of all countries. Calculated at 1937 exchange rates, China’s direct economic losses reached USD 100 billion and indirect economic losses reached USD 500 billion. It can be seen that China made a tremendous contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese people’s protracted and forceful resistance to Japanese aggression and the huge attrition it caused accelerated the demise of Japanese militarism. The role of the Communist Party of China as the mainstay [2]2 A Chinese idiom meaning a firm rock in midstream, metaphor for a stabilizing and pivotal force. was the key to the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance. History proves that only by upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China can we unite the mighty force for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The correct view of WWII history emphasizes revering history and respecting historical facts, and this is gradually becoming a consensus in the international community. Any act that advocates historical revisionism and historical nihilism, distorts and glorifies the history of aggression, refuses to reflect on the responsibility for harm, and openly summons the spirit of militarism is a desecration of historical justice and will be strongly condemned by the international community. The Chinese people, together with all peace-loving and justice-seeking people around the world, will stand on the correct side of history, on the side of fairness and justice, resolutely oppose acts that tamper with history, and jointly defend historical truth.

坚持正确二战史观是敬畏历史、尊重历史真相的需要。历史是最好的教科书，也是最好的清醒剂。中国战场作为东方主战场，在世界反法西斯战争中具有不可替代的重要地位。东方主战场是世界反法西斯战争中开始时间最早、持续时间最长、民族牺牲最大的战场。1931年，日本蓄意制造九一八事变，对远东乃至整个世界和平与稳定构成严重威胁。中国共产党率先高举武装抗日旗帜，团结带领中国人民开辟了世界反法西斯战争的东方主战场。从1931年到1945年，中国人民浴血奋战14年，有效牵制并抗击了日本的主要兵力，为国际反法西斯统一战线的形成和盟国胜利赢得了宝贵时间。抗战期间，中国军民伤亡3500万人以上，约占世界各国伤亡人数的三分之一。按1937年的比价，中国直接经济损失达1000亿美元、间接经济损失达5000亿美元，可见，中国对世界反法西斯战争胜利作出了巨大贡献。中国人民对日本侵略旷日持久的有力抗击和巨大消耗，加速了日本军国主义走向灭亡。中国共产党的中流砥柱作用是中国人民抗日战争胜利的关键。历史证明，只有坚持中国共产党的领导，才能凝聚起中华民族复兴的磅礴伟力。正确二战史观强调敬畏历史、尊重历史事实，日渐成为国际社会的共识。任何鼓吹历史修正主义、历史虚无主义，歪曲和美化侵略历史、拒不反省加害责任，公然为军国主义招魂的行为，都是对历史正义的亵渎，必将受到国际社会的强烈谴责。中国人民将同世界各国爱好和平与正义的人民一道，站在历史正确一边、站在公平正义一边，坚决反对篡改历史的行径，共同捍卫历史真相。

Upholding a correct view of WWII history is necessary for safeguarding historical justice and defending the fruits of peace. The victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance protected world peace and saved human civilization. During WWII, the fascist countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan pushed extreme nationalism, racism, and expansionism, undermined world peace, violated justice and reason, and trampled on human civilization. China resolutely resisted fascist aggression, undertook the important responsibility of safeguarding world peace, and together with all peace-loving countries and peoples in the world, achieved a great victory in resisting armed aggression and saving human civilization. The Chinese People’s War of Resistance demonstrated the powerful strength of the Chinese nation in upholding the cause of human justice and defending world peace, gave birth to the great spirit of the War of Resistance, and showed the world the patriotic sentiment of “every individual is responsible for the rise or fall of his country” [3]3 A classical Chinese idiom, meaning that the fate of the country concerns every individual, often used to express a sense of patriotic responsibility., the national integrity of facing death unflinchingly and preferring death to submission, the heroic spirit of defying brute force and fighting to the bitter end, and the conviction of victory that is indomitable and persevering. The victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance proved to the world that justice will surely triumph over evil, and that peace is the eternal pursuit of human society. The world today still faces various factors that threaten peace and development. We must take history as a mirror, and resolutely prevent any form of fascism and militarism from staging a comeback [4]4 A Chinese idiom meaning a spirit reanimates a corpse, used metaphorically for the revival of old evils or outdated forces..

坚持正确二战史观是维护历史正义、捍卫和平成果的需要。中国人民抗日战争的胜利，保卫了世界和平、拯救了人类文明。二战期间，德、意、日法西斯国家推行极端民族主义、种族主义和扩张主义，破坏世界和平、违背公理正义、践踏人类文明。中国坚决抵抗法西斯侵略，承担起维护世界和平的重要责任，同全世界爱好和平的国家和人民一道，取得了反抗武装侵略、拯救人类文明的伟大胜利。中国人民抗日战争彰显了中华民族维护人类正义事业、捍卫世界和平的强大力量，孕育出伟大抗战精神，向世界展示了天下兴亡、匹夫有责的爱国情怀，视死如归、宁死不屈的民族气节，不畏强暴、血战到底的英雄气概，百折不挠、坚忍不拔的必胜信念。中国人民抗日战争的胜利，向世界证明了正义必将战胜邪恶，和平是人类社会的永恒追求。当今世界仍面临着各种威胁和平与发展的因素，我们要以史为鉴，坚决防止任何形式的法西斯主义和军国主义借尸还魂。

Upholding a correct view of WWII history is necessary for maintaining the post-war international order and jointly creating a bright future for humanity. In the 80 years since the end of WWII, the United Nations has made outstanding contributions to maintaining international peace and security and promoting the progress of human civilization, establishing an international order based on international law. The Second World War was a tragic product of the world system dominated by hegemonism and power politics. Countries around the world eventually realized that the old concepts of international relations must not be continued. Today, only by upholding the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security and settling disputes between countries through peaceful means of dialogue and consultation can the international community address the global challenges of peace and development. In the era of globalization, humanity is a community with a shared future for mankind. No matter how the international situation changes, we must firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, continuously advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, protect the spirit of the UN Charter with joint action, and enable the multilateral international order to play a greater role amid changes unseen in a century.

坚持正确二战史观是维护战后国际秩序、共创人类美好未来的需要。二战结束80年来，联合国在维护国际和平与安全、推动人类文明进步等方面作出了突出贡献，确立了以国际法为基础的国际秩序。第二次世界大战是霸权主义、强权政治主导世界体系的悲剧性产物，世界各国最终认识到，绝不能延续旧有的国际关系理念。当今世界各国只有秉持共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全观，通过对话协商的和平方式解决国家间争端，国际社会方能应对和平与发展的全球性挑战。在全球化时代，人类是休戚与共的命运共同体。无论国际局势如何变化，我们都要坚定维护以联合国为核心的国际体系、以国际法为基础的国际秩序、以联合国宪章宗旨和原则为基础的国际关系基本准则，持续推进平等有序的世界多极化、普惠包容的经济全球化，以共同的行动守护联合国宪章精神，让多边国际秩序在百年变局中发挥更大作用。

Never forget history, so that we can face the future. Currently, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, multiple risks are intertwining and piling up, and humanity once again stands at a crossroads: unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum. To defend the fruits of civilization created by the peoples of the world, we need to uphold a correct view of WWII history, resolutely oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, firmly defend international fairness and justice, and join hands with all countries and peoples in the world who love peace and are committed to development to jointly create a better future for humanity.

勿忘历史，方能面向未来。当前，世界百年变局加速演进，多重风险交织叠加，人类又一次站在了团结还是分裂、对话还是对抗、共赢还是零和的十字路口。捍卫世界各国人民创造的文明成果，需要我们坚持正确二战史观，坚决反对一切形式的霸权主义和强权政治，坚定捍卫国际公平正义，与世界上所有爱好和平、致力发展的国家和人民，携手共创人类更加美好的未来。

Internet Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心