BEIJING, China, Aug 28 — Twenty-six foreign heads of state and government, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-un, will attend China’s upcoming V-Day commemorations, Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei has announced.
The commemorations, scheduled for September 3, will mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931–45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
At the invitation of the Chinese government, parliamentary speakers, deputy prime ministers, senior representatives from various countries, heads of international organizations, and former political leaders are also expected to attend the commemorative event.
Beijing tells off Tokyo
The celebrations, which will include a major military parade in Beijing, come amid fresh tensions with Japan.
Beijing has lodged strong protests with Tokyo after Japanese media reported that Japan had called on other nations to boycott the events.
On Sunday, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency quoted unnamed sources as saying that Japanese diplomats had urged European and Asian nations to refrain from attending, arguing that the commemorations carried “anti-Japanese overtones.”
Responding at a press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun defended the commemorations, saying they were intended “to remember history, honor the martyrs, cherish peace and usher in a brighter future.”
“Any country, as long as it faces history squarely, draws lessons from history, and is committed to peaceful development, will not have misgivings about the events or even raise objections,” Guo said.
He added that Japan should “squarely face and reflect on its history of aggression with an honest attitude, make a clean break with militarism, follow the path of peaceful development, and respect the sentiments of the people of China and other victimized countries in order to earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.”
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