China Daily:
The victory in the Chinese people's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression made tremendous sacrifices and important contributions to the Allies' victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. How has this parade been designed to reflect that? Will any international friends who contributed to China's victory be invited to attend? Thank you.
Wu Zeke:
Thank you for your questions. I will answer them. As the main theater of the World Anti-Fascist War in the East, the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression began the earliest and lasted the longest. During the 14 years of resistance, the Chinese battlefield held back and fought against the main forces of Japanese militarism for an extended period, eliminating more than 1.5 million Japanese troops. This played a decisive role in the ultimate defeat of the Japanese aggressors and made a significant historical contribution to the Allies' victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. China endured tremendous national sacrifice, with more than 35 million military and civilian casualties. In this military parade, we are incorporating key numbers such as "14" and "80" into the parade design to create a strong atmosphere of remembrance. At the same time, the Chinese people will never forget the valuable assistance and support provided by anti-fascist forces around the world, including peace-loving and justice-seeking countries, individuals and international organizations. For example, the Soviet Union provided China with many weapons and equipment; the American Flying Tigers volunteer group braved treacherous flights over the Himalayan supply route known as "the Hump"; Canadian doctor Norman Bethune came to China to save lives; and many anti-fascist fighters from various countries directly participated in China's War of Resistance. History shows that a just cause enjoys broad support while an unjust cause finds little. A just war will inevitably gain widespread backing and achieve ultimate victory. To showcase international friendship and cooperation and to commemorate the victory in the War of Resistance, we will invite international friends who contributed to China's victory, or representatives of their families, to observe the military parade. Thank you.