Event at UN highlights WWII remembrance, solidarity and global cooperation

China's envoy to the United Nations urged on Wednesday the international community to remember history, advocate the correct historical view of World War II, safeguard peace, strengthen solidarity, and uphold multilateralism as the world faces mounting challenges.

Speaking at the "Echoes of Peace" cultural exchange event, co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and China Media Group (CMG), at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday night, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, recalled that "80 years ago, people around the world, including China, the Soviet Union, the United States, and other Allied nations, came together to fight a common enemy of humanity, and ultimately achieved the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War."

He noted that for 14 years, China fought in the main theater in the East, enduring immense sacrifice with 35 million casualties, and making "a decisive contribution to humanity's triumph over fascism".

"China was proud to be the first country to sign the UN Charter, and has since worked hand in hand with all nations for peace and development," he said.

Fu called on all nations to "remember history and advocate the correct historical view of World War II".

"The post-war international order was achieved through the blood and sacrifice of countless predecessors. Any attempt to distort the history of World War II, to deny its victorious outcome, or to glorify aggression, is a mockery of history and an insult to human conscience," he said.

"The international community must stand firm in defending the true historical record and resolutely reject any attempt to reverse the course of history," he added.

He urged the world to "resolve security dilemmas through cooperation" and champion the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

On global challenges, he stressed that "no country can remain completely unscathed" and warned against the "outdated Cold War and zero-sum game mentality".
"Let's embrace extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and rally the strength of all, so that we can take the actions that our world so urgently needs," he said.

"The more complex and turbulent the world becomes, the more imperative it is to uphold and maintain the UN's authority," the ambassador said, calling for efforts to strengthen global confidence in multilateralism and steer international governance toward a more just and reasonable direction.

"The United Nations was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell," UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming said, quoting former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.

"The United Nations welcomes China's steadfast support for multilateralism and commitment to global cooperation and development. We cannot solve any one of our global problems alone. We need global cooperation, multilateralism, and to work together."

Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, attended the event and recalled the story of the Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, formed in 1941 to help China fight invading Japanese forces.

Greene said that whenever an American airman was shot down or forced down in enemy territory, they would nearly always be rescued by the Chinese people, who often risked their own lives.

"This story of remarkable friendship and mutual sacrifice has become more than a bridge between the people of China and the United States; it now stands as a timeless testament to the power of solidarity, inspiring nations across the globe to look beyond borders and cherish shared humanity," he said.

Wednesday's event also featured an image projection show, illuminating the UN Secretariat building in New York with both Chinese and English characters reading "Echoes of Peace".