This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war. On Friday, there will be a two-minute silence at noon in the UK to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. This is a moment not only for solemn remembrance, but also for reflection on the enduring bonds forged in the crucible of history – bonds that continue to resonate in our world today.
At the darkest hour of the second world war, China and the UK fought on different fronts but shared a common mission: to defend humanity against fascism and aggression. Millions of lives were lost, cities razed, and families torn apart. Yet in that darkness, courage and solidarity illuminated the way forward. The Chinese and British peoples stood shoulder to shoulder, united by sacrifice and a shared belief in freedom and justice.
In Asia, Chinese forces made immense sacrifices to support allied efforts. In 1942, the Chinese Expeditionary Force marched over 1,500 gruelling kilometres through the jungles of Myanmar to rescue British forces trapped by Japanese troops. The campaign was costly, but it demonstrated China’s unwavering commitment to its allies.
In Britain, thousands of Chinese seamen served with quiet courage in perilous convoys. They braved the freezing Atlantic to deliver fuel and supplies to British forces on the frontlines – often with little recognition and no promise of return. Their contribution remains a poignant chapter in our shared wartime history.
One of the most moving examples of China-UK solidarity occurred in October 1942, when the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese transport vessel carrying over 1,800 British prisoners of war, was mistakenly torpedoed by a US submarine. As the ship sank off the coast of Zhoushan in eastern China, local fishermen risked their lives, dodging volleys of Japanese gunfire, to rescue 384 survivors from the sea.
In a letter to a family member of a Lisbon Maru survivor, President Xi Jinping commended this act of compassion and bravery as powerful proof of the wartime alliance between our countries and the enduring friendship between our peoples. Earlier this year, the story was brought to life for British audiences in a documentary, The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.
British support for China’s resistance against Japanese aggression is equally etched in our collective memory. Across the UK, ordinary citizens formed aid organisations, held fundraisers, and sent donations to support the Chinese people. Among the most cherished names is George Hogg, a young man from Harpenden (a one-time reporter for the Manchester Guardian). He journeyed to China to provide schooling and shelter for displaced children, dedicating his youth, passion and ultimately his life to a just cause. His internationalist spirit remains deeply cherished by the Chinese people.
These moments of solidarity continue to inspire our relations today. Both China and the UK are permanent members of the UN security council, sharing a responsibility to uphold international peace and security. The UK was the first major western country to recognise the People’s Republic of China. Since we established full diplomatic ties in 1972, our people-to-people exchanges have flourished. In 2024, over 1.2m mutual visits were made. More than 200,000 Chinese students are studying in the UK, while over 50,000 British students have visited China for study programmes – long or short – over the past decade. Just last month, nearly 1,200 students from 61 UK secondary schools visited China on an exchange programme – experiencing first-hand a millennia-old culture. In both countries, there is growing enthusiasm for more dialogue and engagement.
With concerted efforts, China-UK relations have been put back on a path of improvement and renewal. At a time of global uncertainty, it is more important than ever to reaffirm our commitment to partnership. That means treating each other with mutual respect, managing differences properly, and responding to the aspirations of our peoples.
It also means we need to deliver the outcomes of bilateral mechanisms such as the strategic dialogue, economic and financial dialogue, and energy dialogue, and also eliminate distractions, expand channels of communication, and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation.
Just as vital is our joint responsibility to safeguard the hard-won outcomes of the second world war and to uphold true multilateralism and an open global trading system. By working more closely to address global challenges like climate change and promote political solutions to regional hotspot issues, China and the UK can help inject new momentum into global peace and development.
History has shown what China and the UK can achieve when we stand together. As we commemorate this historic anniversary, China is ready to work with the UK to carry forward the legacy of those who came before us.
Let us honour the past not with nostalgia, but with action, telling the stories of courage and friendship that inspire new generations. Let us build a future where peace and prosperity prevail.
The torch of friendship and solidarity, lit eight decades ago, must now light the way forward – for our two countries, for our peoples and for the world at large.
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Zheng Zeguang is Chinese ambassador to the UK
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