In commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the defeat of fascism in Europe and the Chinese Resistance against Japanese aggression, China’s semi-official Global Times warned in a May 6 editorial that the international order is “currently facing multiple shocks,” the underlying causes of which “are closely linked to the erosion of the view of World War II (WWII) history.” Some right-wing politicians try to obscure and distort the history of World War II “while others seek to gain political benefits and solidify their positions by whitewashing fascism.” Worse, this flawed historical view “feeds a vicious cycle alongside geopolitical conflicts: in an attempt at containment, they denigrate—or even deny—the historical contributions of China and Russia; and in the name of a `free and open Indo-Pacific’ they seek to breach the pacifist postwar constitution and resurrect military adventurism.”
Global Times asserts that China and Russia are both promoting a correct view of World War II history while also defending the outcome of the victory and the postwar international order. The reality is that the wartime victory was a “triumph of multilateral cooperation that transcended different systems and beliefs, overcoming fascist tyranny,” and proving that “the law of the jungle … is not the right path for human development…. Fostering a right view of WWII history is also about defending a proper view of the international order.” Moreover, the creation of the postwar international system also proved that “multilateralism is not a temporary strategy in the game of great powers, but a conscious choice of civilization born from immense sacrifice.”
China has contributed to maintaining the post-war international order, Global Times affirms, by advocating the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, using diplomacy effectively to alleviate regional crises, etc. “It is actively demonstrating what it means to uphold and defend a right view of WWII history … providing the world with a Chinese solution that transcends zero-sum games and promotes the development of the international order in a just and reasonable direction.”
