30 July 2025
Honorable Minister Inamutila Teofelus,
Honorable Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa,
Honorable Deputy Minister Charles Mubita, Our Guest of Honor,
All Senior Namibian Government Officials,
Dear Colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps,
My fellow Chinese,
Friends from the Media,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I stand on the protocol established. Good evening.
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Namibia and in my own name, I warmly welcome all of you to attend this reception commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and celebrating the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). I wish to express my sincere thanks to all our distinguished guests for taking time to join us at this event.
Eighty years ago, peace-loving people around the world rose in united resistance against a common enemy, fought bloody battles, ultimately achieved great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and ushered in a new era in the history of the mankind. This war started by the Fascists was an unprecedented catastrophe in human history, ravaging through Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, inflicting over 100 million military and civilian casualties, and causing countless horrific tragedies beyond human comprehension. The people of the invaded nations suffered unbearable losses, and even the people of the aggressor countries became victims themselves. While fascism could be rampant for a time, it was doomed to perish. History has once again repeated the triumph of justice over evil, light over darkness and progress over reaction.
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. It started with the September 18 Incident in 1931, which also opened up the prelude to the start of the World Anti-Fascist War and it ended with the surrender of Japan in September 1945 when the World Anti-Fascist War achieved its complete victory. The Chinese battlefield held back and fought against the main forces of Japanese militarism for 14 years with more than 35 million military and civilian casualties, eliminating more than 1.5 million Japanese troops and playing a decisive role in the ultimate defeat of the Japanese aggressors and made a historical contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is the longest and largest fight against foreign aggression in modern Chinese history, which came with the greatest sacrifice but led to Chinese people's first complete victory in national liberation. It was a great victory of patriotism at its core, a great victory achieved with the Communist Party of China fighting as the central pillar, a great victory fought by the whole nation through solidarity and bravery, and a great victory for the Chinese people, anti-fascist allies and people around the world who fought shoulder-to-shoulder. The great victory was a historic turning point at which the Chinese nation rose from severe crisis in modern times and embarked on a journey toward great rejuvenation, and it was also an integral part of the world's triumph over fascism. The victory belonged to the Chinese people, and also to people across the world. Chinese people will never forget the valuable assistance and support provided by anti-fascist forces around the world.
Today, as we commemorate this great victory, our purpose is to bear history in mind, honor all those who gave their lives, cherish peace, and open up the future. We do so not to perpetuate hatred, but to draw lessons from history and prevent the recurrence of past tragedies, and to inspire people’s yearning for peace. Over the past 80 years, in the vicissitudes of international landscape, peace and development have always been the themes of times, the wide aspiration of the world people and noble goals of the human society. We must resolutely safeguard the outcomes of World War II, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and steadily promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and advance the lofty cause of promoting peace and development of the mankind.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
China is a peace-loving country. We believe in "Be kind to your neighbor," "Seek amity through integrity," and "Promote harmony among all nations." As President Xi Jinping pointed out, "Since modern times, the Chinese people have suffered over a century of invasion, humiliation, and plunder by foreign powers, but what we have learned from that experience is not the logic of the strong preying on the weak, but rather, we have become even more determined to safeguard peace." In recent years, President Xi Jinping has repeatedly reiterated China’s commitment to the path of peaceful development, pledging that China will never seek hegemony, expansion or any sphere of influence, no matter how strong it may grow. China not only refrains from seeking hegemony itself, but also takes opposing hegemony and power politics as its own duty. China consistently upholds a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. Having gone through its glory of past 98 years, the PLA remains as a civilized force for peace and justice.
Today’s world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, as humanity is facing both the major opportunities of embracing even brighter future, and grave challenges posed by ever-worsening global deficits in peace, development, security and governance. Once again, the question of "what kind of world to build and how to build it" is placed before us all. Unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism are only making the world more dangerous and turbulent, not more peaceful and stable. Acts like “small yards with high fences,” “decoupling, and severing industrial and supply chains,” “zero-sum games,” and “maximum pressure” will only lead humanity to a dead end, and the only right choice will be mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity.
President Xi Jinping’s Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity carries forward the same spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and provides China solution to global challenges. Its core significance lies in urging the international community to move beyond zero-sum thinking and to promote world peace, development, and the reform of the global governance system. The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi have pointed out the feasible pathways to tackle major issues concerning world peace and development, and provide a solid foundation for advancing the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity. China is ready to strengthen dialogue, deepen cooperation, and make unremitting efforts with all countries toward that goal.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Peace is most precious and development is our top priority. As we commemorate this great victory, we all hope for a world of lasting peace and better lives for all peoples of all the countries. China and African countries both belong to the Global South, sharing similar historical experiences and shouldering the important mission of achieving modernization. We all uphold multilateralism and hope to promote a more just and equitable international order. We are ready to work with African countries, including Namibia, and all members of the Global South to enhance dialogue and cooperation with greater openness and inclusiveness, and join hands together to take the lead in building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity.
Once again, I would like to thank all our distinguished guests for attending this event. I am confident that, with joint efforts from both sides, China–Namibia friendly exchanges and practical cooperation will yield even more fruitful results and bring greater benefits to our two peoples.
Thank you all.