BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech to commemorate "the 75th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japan"at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.
Xi said "a great victory" was achieved by the Chinese Communist Party "fighting as the central pillar," according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency. The remarks have been interpreted as a promotion of the party's leading role in the "war victory" to emphasize the legitimacy of its rule.
Even though Xi seems to appreciate that a stable relationship with Japan is in China's best interest amid an intensifying conflict with the United States, he appeared to be trying to give an impression that China would not make concessions on historical issues.
While expressing the importance of friendly relations between China and Japan, Xi said that "the barbaric looting and destruction by Japanese militarism brought about a catastrophe" during the war. "Speeches that deny or, still more glorify the aggression will inevitably cause resentment and alarm," he also said.
"The Chinese people will never allow any individual or any force to separate the Chinese Communist Party from the Chinese people or counterpose the Party to the Chinese people," he said.
"We are firmly opposed to interference in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of so-called democracy, freedom and human rights," Xi said, in an apparent reference to the U.S., which is increasing its criticisms against China's ruling communist party and extending cooperation with Taiwan.
Earlier, Xi laid flowers for victims of the Sino-Japanese War at a ceremony at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing to mark the 75th anniversary of the war victory.
The ceremony was attended by all seven members of the party's Politburo Standing Committee, China's highest leadership team, of which Xi is a member. It is the first time Xi has attended the ceremony since 2015, when his administration invited foreign leaders to a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory.
Since then, China had marked the event by holding symposiums attended by high-ranking officials but had not held any major commemorative event. An improvement in the bilateral relationship with Japan is believed to be the reason for the gesture.
On Thursday, Xi exchanged messages with Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrating the 75th anniversary and called for cooperation to "resolutely defend the fruits of the victory in World War II and uphold multilateralism." The reference to "multilateralism" was seen as a rebuke to the U.S.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
