The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria on Friday hosted a film screening in Abuja to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, with renewed calls for peace, unity, and multilateral cooperation.
Speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yu Dunhai, said the anniversary serves as both a solemn remembrance of history and a renewed call to safeguard peace.
He recalled the atrocities committed during the Japanese invasion of China, including the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in which more than 300,000 civilians and soldiers were killed. He described it as “one of the darkest chapters in modern history and a profound, enduring sorrow in the hearts of the Chinese people.”
The featured film, Dead to Rights, drew inspiration from these tragic events, offering audiences an opportunity to reflect on history and its enduring lessons.
Yu highlighted China’s role as the main Eastern battlefield of World War II, noting that at the cost of more than 35 million lives and over $600 billion in economic losses, China dealt decisive blows to Japanese fascism, curbing its expansion and contributing significantly to global peace and order.
“Let history be our guide. Let us preserve, with unwavering resolve, the hard-won outcomes of World War II. Together, let us steer the global order toward a future defined by fairness, justice, and equality for all,” Yu said.
He also stressed that China and Nigeria, as major developing nations and leading voices of the Global South, share the responsibility of safeguarding the outcomes of the war, upholding the UN Charter, and advancing global justice.
Analyst Calls for Nigerian Unity, Applauds China’s Peace Role
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Lawal Sale, a public affairs analyst and publisher of Global South Focus News Online, described the commemoration as both emotional and instructive.
He recalled the Nanjing Massacre, noting that Japan has yet to formally acknowledge responsibility for the atrocity.
“The resilience the Chinese people showed during that war demonstrated their strength as a nation. Today’s China is a testament to that spirit of unity and perseverance,” Sale said.
Drawing lessons for Nigeria, he urged citizens to embrace unity as a foundation for national strength.
“The Chinese won because they saw themselves as one Chinese nation. We Nigerians should also see ourselves as one people—not northerners, southerners, or easterners, but one Nigerian nation,” he added.
Sale further praised China’s peace-oriented foreign policy, stressing that it has consistently supported peacekeeping efforts while avoiding the supply of weapons or instigation of wars.
He pointed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), co-founded by China and Russia, as an example of China’s leadership in promoting international security and cooperation.
“China is the number one peacemaker in the world. Wherever there is conflict, China’s role has been to promote peace and stability. This is a lesson the Global South must embrace,” he added.
The event was attended by diplomats, scholars, journalists and civil society representatives.
