Beijing, 03 Sept 2025

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, a high-level reception and commemorative events were held in Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote address emphasizing peace, justice, and global cooperation.

Addressing the gathering this morning, Xi Jinping—who also serves as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission—called for the international community to firmly uphold fairness and justice, remain committed to peaceful development, and continuously work to improve people's well-being. He reflected on the significance of the victory, describing it as a historic turning point that marked the Chinese nation’s transition from crisis to rejuvenation, while also reshaping the global order.

President Xi acknowledged the invaluable support from international allies during the war and stressed the need for all humanity to unite in times of difficulty, reject unilateralism, and oppose the idea that the strong should dominate the weak. He reiterated China’s commitment to peaceful development and highlighted that Chinese modernization is based on peace, stability, and progress for all.

The reception was attended by several foreign leaders and their spouses, alongside senior Chinese officials including Premier Li Qiang, and Politburo Standing Committee members Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Vice President Han Zheng. Li Qiang presided over the event.

Later in the evening, a grand cultural gala themed "Justice Prevails” was held at the Great Hall of the People, attended by approximately 6,000 guests. The performance highlighted the heroic resistance of the Chinese people, the leadership of the Communist Party during the war, and the nation’s enduring spirit in the face of aggression. Prior to the gala, Xi and other leaders greeted war veterans in a show of respect and gratitude.

Earlier in the day, President Xi reviewed troops during a military parade in Beijing. Standing in a Hongqi limousine, Xi gave the command for the parade to begin and inspected formations of soldiers and military equipment along Chang’an Avenue. The event emphasized the strength and discipline of China’s armed forces, with slogans such as “Justice will prevail! Peace will prevail! The people will prevail!” echoing across Tian’anmen.

Following the parade, Xi signed an order commending all participating troops for exemplifying the spirit of resistance, national pride, and military strength. The order urged the armed forces to learn from the parade units and accelerate efforts toward building a world-class military.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded its largest-ever summit in Tianjin. Reaffirming the “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, equality, and respect for diversity, leaders underscored the organization’s growing influence in promoting cooperation, peace, and common development amid global uncertainty.

At the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a series of development-focused commitments aimed at strengthening regional cooperation. Among these, China pledged 2 billion yuan (approximately $280 million USD) in grants for SCO member states within the year.

Additionally, Xi announced a new line of credit amounting to 10 billion yuan (around $1.4 billion USD) to be distributed via the SCO Interbank Consortium over the next three years.

Xi further emphasized the importance of accelerating the establishment of an SCO development bank to deepen economic integration among member states. Reaffirming his vision of inclusive progress, Xi remarked that “true development is development for all, and good development is sustainable.”

Over recent years, China has spearheaded initiatives under the SCO framework to promote regional connectivity, economic growth, and people-to-people exchanges. With its membership now encompassing 10 nations and additional partners across Asia, Europe, and Africa, the SCO represents nearly half of the global population and a quarter of the world economy.

Economic cooperation has already yielded tangible results. Bilateral trade between China and other SCO members has exceeded $500 billion annually, while Chinese investment in the region stands at over $84 billion. The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) has also expanded cross-border logistics, particularly through the TIR (International Road Transport) system, with trade volumes and cargo values seeing triple-digit growth in 2025.

Beyond economics, security cooperation remains a central tenet of the SCO. In his speech at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State, Xi highlighted the organization's early efforts in border confidence-building and combating terrorism, extremism, and separatism. Mechanisms like the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) and joint anti-drug operations have contributed to significant outcomes, including the prevention of over 1,400 terror-related incidents.

To address evolving security challenges, Xi called for the operationalization of two new platforms: the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and the SCO Anti-Drug Center.

A key highlight of the summit was the introduction of Xi’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI), underpinned by five principles: sovereign equality, rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and practical action. Leaders from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Belarus voiced strong support, recognizing the initiative as a timely response to growing global imbalances.

The summit concluded with high expectations for the SCO’s continued leadership in shaping a fairer international order. As President Xi expressed during the banquet, the organization is poised to “set sail from Tianjin” toward a brighter, more united future.

Pictures: Courtesy Xinhua News