Echoes of Peace: Event to commemorate WWII anniversary held in Seoul

The "Echoes of Peace" cultural exchange event, co-hosted by China Media Group (CMG), the China Cultural Center in Seoul and the National Memorial of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was held in Seoul on Thursday.

Shen Haixiong, president of CMG, and Kim Jin-pyo, former speaker of South Korea's National Assembly, delivered video remarks.

Participants included Dai Bing, China's ambassador to South Korea, as well as more than 200 guests from political, academic, media and cultural circles of South Korea.

Shen noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. 

Under the banner of the anti-Japanese national united front initiated and led by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people fought with great spirit and sacrifice, standing with the forces of justice around the world to defeat fascism and write a heroic epic that will be remembered through history, Shen said.

"Today, we are honored to welcome our international friends to this event, to remember those years of fighting side by side and to share in this emotional bond that transcends time and space," he added.

He said the past must not be forgotten, for it serves as a guide for the future – history is the best textbook. "In today's world of intertwined turmoil and changes, it is all the more important that we draw wisdom and strength from this magnificent history and join hands to meet our common challenges."

Dai said China stands ready to work with South Korea to remain true to the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, to stay committed to the direction of good-neighborliness and friendship, to uphold the goal of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and to elevate their strategic cooperative partnership to new heights.

Kim said he hopes the event will be a great success, serving as a bridge for the Chinese and South Korean peoples to deepen friendship and work together toward a peaceful future. 

The event will also feature screenings of Chinese and South Korean films on the theme of the war of resistance, he said, adding that these works, through artistic expression, revisit the shared memory of their struggles, stand as a precious record of history and embody the peoples' yearning for peace and the spirit of mutual support between neighbors.