On September 4th, 2015, 2015, H. E. Mr. Wei Ruixing, Chinese Ambassador to Lithuania, was invited to attend the Conference in Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, co-organized by the Lithuanian Committee of the Organization of WWII Veterans Who Fought on the Side of the Anti-Hitler Coalition and the Military History Institute.

At the Conference, Ambassador Wei made the following remarks:

H. E. Mr. Alexander Udaltsov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation,

H. E. Mr. Aleksandr Korol, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus,

Mr. Deksnys, Chairman of the Lithuanian Committee of the Organization of WWII Veterans Who Fought on the Side of the Anti-Hitler Coalition,

Mr. Trakselis, Director of the Military History Institute,

Dear Veterans,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Good Afternoon. It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to be invited to this Conference. I wish to express my sincere thanks to the organizers for the kind invitation and to extend my congratulations on the convening of this Conference. I also wish to avail myself of this opportunity to pay my highest respect and to extend my best wishes to the veterans of the Anti-Fascist Alliance.

This year is a year of great significance, which marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War as well as the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Yesterday, China held a series of commemoration activities, including a military parade, to mark the Anniversary, in a bid to memorize the history, honor the martyrs, cherish peace and open up the future together with the people of the world. Through hosting such activities, we hope that every human being with a kind heart can awake to the aspiration and commitment of peace, prevent the historical tragedy from happening again, jointly defend the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and explore better prospects for the humankind.

The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War. China was a main theater of the World Anti-Fascist War in the East. The war in China broke out the earliest and lasted the longest. In 1931, Japan blatantly launched the war by engineering the "9.18" Incident (i.e. on September 18th, 1931, the Japanese army in northeast China deliberately destroyed the railway in Shenyang city to frame the Chinese military, and then launched an all-out attack on the Chinese army). The Chinese people rose up in resistance and fought bravely against the aggression. The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was not merely a struggle between the Chinese people and the Japanese militarists or merely a local war between China and Japan. It was an important part of the war against aggression waged by people throughout the world, viewed from the general situation of the international anti-Fascist struggle. The China theater was a major theater of decisive importance to the World Anti-Fascist War. It strongly supported the anti-Fascist struggle in the European and Pacific theaters, disrupted the overall plan of the Japanese imperialists who attempted to dominate the world, thwarted Japan's "Northern March" plot to invade the Soviet Union, and delayed its "Southern March" schedule for unleashing the Pacific war. More important still, the Chinese people through great sacrifices pinned down Japan's million troops on the Chinese battlefront so that it could not enhance its military forces in the Far East and the Pacific Ocean. As a result, it greatly reduced the pressure on the Allied forces. The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which made indelible historic contributions to the eventual defeat of the Fascist forces worldwide, constituted a glorious page in the history of the World Anti-Fascist War.

The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression received sympathy and assistance from the governments and peoples of many countries, including the former Soviet Union, the United States of America, etc. Some of the veterans present today engaged in battles against the Japanese aggressors in China's northeast. The Chinese people will forever remember the invaluable contributions made by those who helped the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Ladies and Gentlemen: When we are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, we should never forget the great calamity and the unprecedented catastrophe brought to the human society and human civilization by the Fascist aggressors. As a Chinese saying goes, "The past, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future." Any words and deeds to white-wash, deny or even beautify the history of aggression, any attempt to re-tread the previous path of militarism and war of aggression, will not be accepted and tolerated by the people of the world. Only by remembering the hard-won peace can we open up the better future.

During the past 70 years, significant changes have taken place in the world. Peace, development and win-win cooperation have become the mainstream of the world today. Following the trend of the times and in the sprite of win-win cooperation and common development, China is ready to work together with Lithuania and other countries to safeguard the world peace.

I wish the Conference a great success, and I wish the veterans and everyone present good health and good luck.

Thank you!