Distinguished guests from all over Europe joined discussions on topics including defending the post-war international order and practicing multilateralism at the "Echoes of Peace" Cultural Exchange Event in the UK city of Liverpool on Tuesday.
Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, delivered a speech via video at the event, which was hosted by China Media Group (CMG).
Among the over 100 attendees were former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy, former Romanian President Traian Basescu, Spain's former Foreign Minister Ana Palacio, representatives from the China-Britain Business Council and the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association, as well as descendants of Chinese sailors during World War II.
The guests engaged in exchanges and discussions on topics including defending the post-war international order, practicing multilateralism, and the important historical position of the battlefield in China as the main Eastern battlefield of the global fight against fascism during World War II.
The Chinese and British peoples forged a great friendship through mutual support and sacrifices of blood and lives during World War II, attendees said. Others noted that the United Nations has played a significant role in maintaining world peace and promoting common development over the past 80 years.
They called for persistent efforts in safeguarding the peace in the world as new challenges emerge and persist.
"China was very important in fighting against the Japanese. The Chinese people were fighting against fascism and militarism from 1931, and we need to remember that the war began in 1931, not 1941. And during the Second World War, China was incredibly important to the Allied strategy," said British historian Robert Lyman.
The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was fought from 1931 to 1945. It was the first to break out and the longest-running campaign in the World Anti-Fascist War. The war resulted in over 35 million Chinese military and civilian casualties.
CMG's documentary on British journalist George Hogg premiered at the event, where CMG received gifts from Hogg's nephew Mark Aylwin Thomas.
During the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Hogg courageously exposed Japanese wartime atrocities. He also rescued and educated Chinese youth. The event also held a screening of CMG's documentary "The Secret Betrayal" and WWII documentary "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru", and a special photo exhibition was held depicting more than 20,000 Chinese sailors who cooperated with British people in battles of World War II.
Mainstream media organizations in Britain covered the "Echo of Peace" cultural exchange event, and reports on the event were circulated by 255 mainstream media outlets from 11 countries including the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Serbia, Hungary, and Greece.
"Echoes of Peace" cultural exchange event held in UK to commemorate WWII anniversary
