Editor's Note: As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, CGTN presents "Forging a Peaceful Future," a special series of in-depth news analyses. These stories delve into history, explore the post-war world order and highlight how China's past has shaped its sustained contributions to global peace today.

Beijing's Tian'anmen Square will once again become the stage for solemn remembrance on September 3. China will hold a massive military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

According to China Media Group, the parade will feature 45 formations and aerial echelons. One formation, is particularly, symbolic: combines two elements representing the "old" and the "new." The "old" refers to units descended from anti-Japanese wartime forces, while the "new" showcases the modernized structure of China's armed forces.

The special arrangement serves as a bridge between past and present, aiming to demonstrate how China honors its wartime legacy while advancing as a modern nation.

Honoring heroes, remembering sacrifice

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of honoring fallen heroes and carrying forward the great spirit of the War of Resistance forged during the struggle. He once said, "Any nation with hope cannot be without heroes," and "the great spirit of resisting aggression is an invaluable source of inspiration, and will always motivate the Chinese people to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and strive to achieve national rejuvenation."

On July 7, Xi visited the memorial of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign in Yangquan, north China's Shanxi Province, where he paid tribute to fallen heroes. The tour came as the day marked the 88th anniversary of the start of the entire nation's resistance against Japanese aggression. Xi stressed that the campaign fully demonstrated the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s role as the backbone of the resistance, and underscored the need to pass on the great spirit of the War of Resistance from generation to generation.

The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, fought from 1931 to 1945, was among the longest and bloodiest chapters of World War II. The Hundred-Regiment Campaign in 1940 epitomized its scale. Under the CPC leadership, more than 200,000 soldiers fought in some 1,800 engagements across north China, inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese and their puppet troops.

Another symbol of the War of Resistance is General Yang Jingyu, commander of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. Surrounded by Japanese forces in the frozen forests, Yang fought to his last breath in 1940. When his body was examined, it was found that his stomach contained only bark, grass and cotton. "His sacrifice remains profoundly moving," Xi remarked during a 2020 visit to Jilin Province, praising Yang's defiance against overwhelming odds.

Xi has described the essence of the great spirit of the War of Resistance as: patriotic duty to shoulder the fate of the nation, national integrity to face death unflinchingly, heroic courage to fight to the end, and unyielding faith in victory. He emphasized that carrying forward this spirit is essential for the entire nation to strengthen confidence and open up the future.

Opening up the future

Since 2013, China has institutionalized remembrance through new memorial days, legislation and honor systems. The country established Martyrs' Day on September 30, created a national memorial day on December 13 for victims of the Nanjing Massacre, passed laws protecting the dignity of heroes, and awarded medals to surviving veterans.

"Bearing history in mind is not to perpetuate hatred. Rather, it is for mankind not to forget its lessons," Xi said in a UN address in 2015. "Remembering history does not mean being obsessed with the past. Rather, we aim to create a better future and pass the torch of peace from generation to generation."

The emphasis on honoring history is closely tied to China's peaceful development path. Since its founding, the People's Republic of China has pursued an independent foreign policy, putting forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as a set of basic norms for international relations. China is also the only nuclear-armed state to pledge no-first-use of nuclear weapons. By the end of 2023, the country had contributed over 50,000 personnel to UN peacekeeping missions – the most among the permanent members of the Security Council.

In recent years, China has stepped up diplomatic efforts to help resolve international disputes: proposing the Global Security Initiative in 2022, brokering the Saudi-Iran rapprochement in 2023, facilitating reconciliation among 14 Palestinian factions in 2024, and calling for dialogue to ease conflicts from Ukraine to the Korean Peninsula.

Xi also linked the great spirit of the War of Resistance to China's long-term development. At a symposium marking the 75th anniversary of V-Day, he said that as China advances forward, it will encounter various risks and challenges. He urged the Chinese people to carry forward the great spirit of the War of Resistance to overcome all obstacles and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.