Eighty years after WWII, building a community with a shared future is more important than ever

The 20th century was marked by two major world wars that altered power balances and gave rise to new geopolitical patterns. In particular, World War II was incomparable in human history; it was driven by the ideologies of Nazism and fascism, forces of imperialism, and policies of militarization, territorial conquest, and persecution that led to the outbreak of the global conflict.

China was the main country that resisted Japanese aggression prior to World War II, which encompassed Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. In this war, Chinese people were killed by the Imperial Japanese Army in bloody tragedies such as the Nanjing Massacre, which is widely regarded as one of the worst war crimes against humanity. However, some Western people are unfamiliar with this history, and some far-right groups attempt to distort and erase it.

But the fact remains. Eighty years ago, people of the world completely defeated fascism, achieving a monumental victory. As the primary eastern theater of the war, China secured its own survival, while concurrently providing robust support to Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific, making an indelible contribution to the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory over fascism. This year’s commemorations also highlight the significant contributions of various nations, particularly China, in the global fight against fascist aggression. Indeed, China’s resistance was decisive, and its efforts were pivotal in defeating fascism and supporting other fronts in Europe and Asia.

Furthermore, the triumph in the World Anti-Fascist War placed a decisive foundation for postwar international relations. Recently, President Xi Jinping underscored the fact in an article for the Russian Gazette newspaper, emphasizing, “We must learn from history, especially the hard lessons of the Second World War. We must draw wisdom and strength from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics.” He also stressed the need to firmly defend international fairness and justice as well as to decisively uphold the postwar international order.

Today, the entire world is still struggling for sustainable peace. More than ever in modern history, it is a critical necessity for humanity to uphold conflict resolution and prevention, and for various actors to promote peace, social progress, cooperation, and friendship among peoples.

As the world has entered a new period of instability and unprecedented crises, more and more people have come to the realization of the Chinese vision on building a community with a shared future and the well-being of all humanity. Learning from history to build a brighter and more peaceful future is of paramount importance for all. More countries have embraced this vision that serves the common interests of humanity as it responds to peoples’ call for peace, justice and progress by creating the greatest solidarity and synergy among all countries.

The series of global initiatives that China has proposed offer Chinese solutions to maintain global peace and development. All of them are aimed at building a community with shared interests and responsibility featuring mutual political trust, economic integration, and cultural inclusiveness. The international community perceives the global initiatives as tools for realizing peace, stability, and prosperity on a global scale since all of them are aimed at cooperation rather than rivalry. For instance, China has published a concept paper on the Global Security Initiative, outlining 20 key areas for cooperation.

In addition, in contrast to the Western dogma of “superiority” of certain civilizations and “the clash of civilizations”, China’s Global Civilization Initiative upholds the values of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations. It emphasizes the essence of cultural exchanges and coexistence transcending feelings of superiority.

China has also promoted many “small and beautiful” projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. These global initiatives present China as a responsible power committed to peace and multilateral engagement. Overall, most countries as well as analysts worldwide have noted that amid growing global complexities and tensions, Beijing maintains its commitment to peaceful arrangements.

Throughout history, peace and human progress have been the main goals of humanity. In the 21st century, global challenges call for global responses. Eighty years after end of World War II, the international community is at another crossroad in history: It must choose between unity and division, between synergy and confrontation. With the interests of humanity at stake, this choice tests the wisdom of all nations.

The author is recipient of the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award and a former rector of European University Cyprus. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.