Xi Jinping on the lessons of war
- By Heiko Khoo
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 7, 2015
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Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the commemoration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2015. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang) |
Chinese President Xi Jinping reminded the people of China and the world that the Second World War was begun by the Japanese invasion of China and ended with Japan's defeat. The war was a titanic conflict fought mostly by Japan against China and Germany against the Soviet Union.
Sadly, most Western historians seem oblivious to China's role and even downplay the role of the Soviet Union. In Western educational textbooks the fact that about 35 million Chinese people died or were injured in the conflict is barely mentioned. The defeat of the Japanese opened the way for the revolutionary victory of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1949 against the U.S.-backed Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek that earlier had been forced to collaborate with the PLA in the struggle against the Japanese invaders.
In the 19th century, and at the start of the 20th, the Chinese nation had been invaded, occupied and humiliated by various foreign states, starting with the two notorious Opium wars where Britain forced China to accept the import of opium from India, then its colony.
Xi pointed to the global instability of our era, warning that "the sword of Damocles still hangs over humankind." This is clearly the case when you look at the refugee crisis in Europe, sparked by the collapse of Iraq and the civil war in Syria. Indeed, American meddling in various countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe is exacerbating instability and conflict and the danger of tensions spilling over into new military conflicts is very real.
By announcing a big cut in PLA troop numbers, President Xi sent a clear message to the world about the direction of de-escalation and peace China favors. Isn't it time for the United States and NATO forces to do the same and promote global nuclear, naval, space and cyber disarmament to ensure peace and security for all?
