Published: 2 hours ago

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday joined 26 Heads of State and Government at Tiananmen Square in Beijing for commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The occasion holds deep significance for both Zimbabwe and China, whose ties stretch back to the days of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. Speaking ahead of the ceremony, President Mnangagwa described China as Zimbabwe's "foremost ally" and stressed the importance of preserving and strengthening the historic relationship.

The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which ran from 1931 to 1945, was the first and longest campaign of the global anti-fascist struggle. Over the course of 14 years, an estimated 35 million Chinese citizens were killed or wounded. Japan's formal surrender came on September 2, 1945, when it signed the Instrument of Surrender.

In 2014, China's national legislature declared September 3 as Victory Day. A year later, the country held its first large-scale military parade at Tiananmen Square to commemorate the historic triumph.

Addressing this year's gathering, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated Beijing's commitment to global peace and development.

"We will remain committed to the path of peaceful development and join hands with all peoples around the world in building a community with a shared future for humanity," President Xi said.

Reflecting on China's wartime sacrifices, Xi emphasised that the country had made "major contributions to saving human civilisation and safeguarding world peace." He urged the Chinese people to remain united under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to build a strong nation and achieve "national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation."

President Mnangagwa's attendance comes as Zimbabwe deepens its diplomatic and economic engagement with Beijing, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, trade, and technology.
- online

You might also want to read this

• Mnangagwa meets Zimbabwean Catholic priests
• Mnangagwa linked tycoon displaces 30 Ex-MPs
• Mnangagwa to attend China's Victory commemoration
• Mnangagwa to unveil irrigation kits
• Mnangagwa to hand over 1,000 title deeds
• Qatari royalty to meet Mnangagwa
• Mnangagwa delivers stark warning
• Mnangagwa's term extension calls amplified
• Mnangagwa commissions high-performance computing centre
• Mnangagwa caps 6,918 UZ graduates