"This is long overdue," said Donald Thurin, an affiliate to the United Nations (UN), after viewing an exhibition on the World Anti-Fascist War here Monday evening.
"The history of (the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression) should have been more often talked about, considering its contribution to the defeat of fascist Japan," Thurin said.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Titled "Remembering for Peace," the five-day exhibition, which opened Monday, displayed many historical photos showcasing the efforts made by Chinese during the anti-Japanese war to commemorate the victory.
"The exhibition provided many details. For example, the caption of this photo explains that 'villagers in north China engaged in sabotage to cut off Japanese army supply lines," Thurin said.
"We would never want to see it (the scourge) again and we have an obligation to prevent it from happening," Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Jan Eliasson said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
"It (the war) was of course an unspeakable series of horrible events, both on the battlefield and affecting civilians to a degree that had never happened in history," he said.
China was the first country in the world to fight against fascist forces when Japanese troops began invading northeast China on Sept. 18, 1931.
"Seventy years ago, the Chinese people, through painstaking struggles and with enormous sacrifices, ultimately defeated the atrocious aggression of the Japanese militarists and won the nation's first complete victory over foreign invaders in modern history," said Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, also at the opening ceremony.
The anti-Japanese war was part of the World Anti-Fascist War. The fascists engulfed over 80 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, bringing untold suffering to nearly 2 billion people, Wang said.
The Chinese people, who were the first to bear the brunt of the war and for the longest period of time, made the most enormous sacrifices, Wang said.
Petr Iliichev, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, also attended the ceremony.
"The exhibition is very important to remember what happened 70 years ago and what led to the beginning of this war," Iliichev said.
It shows how many sacrifices were made by the Chinese people and by all those affected, Iliichev said, "which means that we have to keep this peace as long as we can."
By the end of World War II (WWII), more than 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded. The victory in the war was a turning point for China after more than a century of humiliation.
"The photos on display may fade with time, but the indomitable spirit, the exceptional valor, and the unyielding perseverance and resilience thereby shown remain as the most valuable asset of the Chinese nation," Wang said.
For a country that bore unspeakable suffering during the war, celebrations and commemorations for the bitter victory seven decades ago are indeed long overdue.
Another major celebration will be held in China on Sept. 3, when China will stage a massive military parade in the heart of Beijing to mark the occasion.
Over 10,000 Chinese troops will march past the symbolic Tian'anmen Rostrum, and around 200 military aircraft will fly in formations overhead.
