This year marks the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war and the world anti-fascist war. The Chinese people and the people of countries around the world are carrying out commemorative activities of various forms.

　　The war was the largest in scale and caused the heaviest casualties and the most serious destruction in human history. The war was a trial of strength between justice and evil and a decisive battle between brightness and darkness. After fighting long-term bloody battles, peace-loving peoples of various Asian countries and the world progressive forces finally defeated militarist and fascist forces, thus opening a new era of development in human history.

　　In this decisive battle that determined the future and fate of humanity, the Chinese people and people of various Asian countries made tremendous contributions and enormous sacrifices. In the process from the "September 18" incident launched in China by Japanese militarism in 1931 to the invader's announcement of unconditional surrender in 1945, the Chinese people had carried out heroic struggles against outside aggression for as long as 14 full years, which became an important part of the world anti-fascist war and the principal battlefield in the East.

　　Victory in the war of resistance marks an important turn in human history. From a global perspective, the war of resistance destroyed the fascist forces in their vain attempt to enslave the world and pushed forward the cause of peace and progress of humankind.

　　From the perspective of Asia, it put an end to Japan's century-long external aggression and expansion since the Meiji reform and opened up a new era for Asia's postwar development.

　　From the perspective of Japan's development trend, through its acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation and the trial by the military tribunal in the Far East, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty and embarked on the road of peace and development.

　　From the perspective of China-Japan relations, in the 1972 "China-Japan Joint Statement", the Japanese government solemnly indicated that it keenly felt its responsibility for the serious harms done by the past war to the Chinese people and expressed its profound self-examination of this. Thus an end was put to the abnormal state of China-Japan relation and normalization of diplomatic ties was realized between the two countries.

　　The aforesaid historical facts show that full understanding of the historic significance of victory of the War of Resistance and a correct approach to the past phase of history is the cornerstone of postwar international order, the cornerstone of Asian peace, the cornerstone for Japan's return to the international community, and the cornerstone for maintaining the sound and steady development of Sino-Japanese relations.

　　Recently, the Japanese government once again expressed its retrospection and apologies for its colonial rule and aggression in those years, its willingness to correctly understand history and to establish mutual trust with various Asian countries. But what merits people's vigilance is that so far there still exist the forces in Japan that deny and beautify aggression. These forces ignore basic historical facts and common international views, and they preach that "aggression rendered meritorious service", "the trial is ineffective" and "war criminals are not guilty". The historical issue represented by the Yasukuni Shrine remains prominent and hinders the normal development of Japan's relations with neighboring Asian countries.

　　The 60th anniversary of the victory provides the world's peoples, including Japanese people, with an important opportunity to review the past and ponder the future. In order to prevent the repeat of tragedies in history, maintain regional peace and jointly create the future of Asia, from the angle of summing up experiences and drawing lessens, we find it necessary to make an in-depth analysis of the ideological root, social foundation and international background for the formation of militarism, and comprehensively summarize and draw profound lessens from Japan's embarkation on the road of external aggression and expansion in those years.

　　Through presenting facts and reasoning things out, we should clearly define the responsibility for the aggressive war, consolidate the consensus of the international community and stop words and deeds that try to reverse the verdict on aggression.

　　From the angle of safeguarding the cause of human peace, we find it necessary to fully affirm the tremendous contributions made by the peoples of China and various other Asian countries to the world anti-fascist war.

　　From the perspective of the passage of time and the trace of the evolution of history, the struggle against external aggression and in defense of sovereignty and independence began in Asia and ended in Asia. From the angle of Asia, having a new understanding of the important position of the Asian battlefield in the world anti-fascist war and the important roles played by various Asian countries, including China, helps us more comprehensively sum up historical experiences and have a clearer understanding of the responsibility to be undertaken by Asia for world peace.

　　It is also necessary for us, from the angle of adhering to the road of peace and development, to make a conscientious comparison of the tremendous changes taken place in Japan as well as in various Asian countries before and after the war, and to have a better understanding of the important significance of peaceful development to Japan and the rest of Asia. On this basis, various Asian countries should join hands to safeguard peace and stability, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote common development.

　　This comment by Wang Yi, Chinese ambassador to Japan, is carried on the first page of People's Daily Overseas Edition, August 19, and is translated by People's Daily Online.