Overseas Chinese hail China's prosperity after attending V-Day gathering

Chinese living overseas and international friends of China praised the country's strength and prosperity after observing the grand gathering in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on Wednesday.

Chen Zhi, son of Chen Zhongzhu, a Chinese general who sacrificed his life in the resistance war against Japanese aggression, now lives in Australia. He was deeply impressed to see the strength of his motherland.

"My father was a famous martyr in the war against Japanese aggression. Chen Zhongzhu, the 'rather-die-than-surrender general', is my father. Every time I come back, I see a huge change, a change I never imagined. After watching this parade today, I'm truly grateful for our great motherland, which is growing stronger and stronger," Chen said.

For some foreign nationals who have witnessed firsthand China's development over the years, the event represented the country's dedication to building a more peaceful world.

"I was born and raised in Beijing. Since the 1950s and 1960s, I have participated in various activities at Tian'anmen Square many times. China's role in the international arena should be to help pursue peace and prevent war. In recent years, I have felt that unlike some countries that simply take sides when war occurs, China has participated in mediation. Peaceful development is what the people need most," said a British national.

Cai Qiulan, a Chinese woman who lives in Australia, brought a photograph of her father to the event.

"My father, a Chinese Singaporean, joined the Communist Party of Malaysia in 1939 and returned to China in 1941 to join the New Fourth Army. He experienced the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Chinese Liberation War, and found his final resting place in Guangzhou. As a descendant of a veteran of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, I am deeply happy to see our motherland flourishing and developing. I also wish our motherland continued prosperity, and happiness for all the Chinese people," she said.

Overseas Chinese hail China's prosperity after attending V-Day gathering

China has seen a surge in passenger traffic on New Year's Day, the first day of its three-day New Year holiday, with significant increases in short- and medium-distance travel and strong year-on-year growth in flight bookings.

Data showed that during the holiday period, short- and medium-distance travel is the main mode of travel in China's Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing regions, with trips crossing the New Year becoming a major highlight.

Domestic flight bookings for the holiday increased by 28 percent year on year, and international flight bookings increased by approximately 14 percent year on year, according to data from Umetrip, a popular Chinese flight travel application.

"During the New Year holiday, the popularity of winter escape trips to the south increased significantly compared to previous years. On the other hand, new destinations in the south are rapidly emerging. Flight bookings to cities such as Nanning, Jieyang, Quanzhou, and Huizhou all increased by more than 70 percent year on year, becoming highlights of holiday travel growth," said Zhao Nan, general manager of the industry development department at Umetrip.

In China's coastal province of Fujian, the province's maritime administration anticipates that 143 passenger ships will be in operation during the holiday, carrying over 380,000 passengers.

The Mini Three Links, which refers to small-scale trade, shipping and postal services between Fujian province, Kinmen Island and the Matsu Island group, are expected to carry over 20,000 passengers, an increase of more than 50 percent compared to the same period last year.

China sees travel surge on New Year's Day