Residents in Hong Kong, Macao respond to V-day commemorations with pride, patriotism

Residents across Hong Kong and Macao have shared their feeling about the commemorations held in Beijing on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

A grand military parade was held in central Beijing on Wednesday morning as part of the commemoration activities.

In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), major newspapers, broadcasters, and online platforms aired the live broadcast of the grand gathering. Along Victoria Harbor, residents expressed their feelings about the historic event.

"As a compatriot in Hong Kong, I feel deeply that the spirit of the resistance against Japanese aggression still carries strong relevance today and continues to inspire us to forge ahead," said Gai Xiangyu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Yantai Association.

"The commemoration was not only about remembering the past, but also about awakening the spirit of the Chinese nation and uniting the strength needed for our times. As a member of Hong Kong's business community, I believe that 'keep our country in mind' is never an empty slogan," said Lin Xiaohui, a Committee Member of the National CPPCC and the chairman of the Realord Group and the Sincere Company.

"I think Hong Kong should uphold the concept of cherishing deep feelings for our nation as much as we love our family, and draw lessons from the past for future development. Only by learning from history to strive in unity and seek common development, Hong Kong can move forward in step with the entire nation for a better future," said Wendy Hong Wen, a member of the Election Committee Constituency of the HKSAR.

In the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), representatives from the Macao SAR government, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, schools and other institutions gathered at the Macao Polytechnic University to watch the live broadcast of the military parade.

"We organized people from all walks of life and students to watch the live broadcast, bringing the total number of spectators to nearly 60,000," said Kong Chi Meng, director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) of the Macao SAR.

For young people, the event carried special significance.

"As a youth representative in Macao, I was deeply moved by our country's prosperity and the modernization of our armed forces. It reminds us of the importance of drawing lessons from history to open up a brighter future," said Cheong Ka Man, deputy director of the Macao Youth Development Services Center.

Residents in Hong Kong, Macao respond to V-day commemorations with pride, patriotism

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.

Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.

"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.

The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.

Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar