Where There Is Peace, There Is Morning Light

【CMHnews post】—— Reflections on the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War

Written by CEO of CMH NEWs Yanni Xie

Translated by BingQing

At nine o’clock on the morning of September 3, 2025, the roar of ceremonial salutes echoed through Tiananmen Square as white doves took flight. The grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was solemnly held at the heart of Beijing. From the viewing platform facing Tiananmen Gate, I stood as a representative of overseas Chinese media, invited to witness this historic moment firsthand—to capture and chronicle it through the lens and the pen of a journalist.  Eternal Are the Mountains and Rivers; Immortal Are the Heroes. At that moment, people across the world resonated in unison, celebrating peace together. The “September 3 Military Parade,” magnificent and awe-inspiring, has etched itself into time and memory like a living poem. With the camera to record and the pen to reflect, Multicultural Herald presents this special commemorative issue, offering a unique perspective from overseas Chinese media—bridging Eastern and Western cultural viewpoints—to share with our diverse readership a truthful and distinctive “Story of September 3.”

September 3 Military Parade: The Numeric Energy of a Nation Marching from 1945

     In the capital city of Beijing, Tiananmen Gate stands solemn and majestic, facing a vast and awe-inspiring Tiananmen Square. In front of the themed installation titled “Great Wall of Steel,” fourteen beacons rise high, bearing the numbers “1945” and “2025” — a symbolic echo of the year codes displayed on the military vehicles participating in the parade. As media commentators observed, 1945 signifies the origin of history and the immortal glory of victory; 2025 embodies the forward journey of renewal and the dream of national rejuvenation.

     During the parade, 45 formations marched past the reviewing stand, organized in a 4+4 military structure: four traditional branches — the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force — and four emerging forces — Aerospace, Cyberspace, Information Support, and Joint Logistics. A new generation of domestically developed, front-line combat and strategic weapons made their collective debut. Among them were JL-1 air-launched long-range missiles, the DF-61 and DF-31 series of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, the J-35A stealth fighter jet, and the DF-5C multi-body ICBM, many showcased publicly for the first time — a tangible display of credible deterrence and real combat capability.

     The parade was attended by 61 heads of state, government leaders, senior representatives, and international organization chiefs, as well as 50 foreign guests or descendants of wartime allies from 14 countries, including Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In total, the guests represented all five continents, reflecting the international community’s recognition of China’s historic contribution to the victory over fascism and its enduring place among world nations.

     As the ceremony drew to a close, 80,000 white doves soared into the sky, followed by 80,000 colorful balloons, while the resounding strains of “Ode to the Motherland” filled Tiananmen Square. On the reviewing stand, spectators waved flags in joy; on the Tiananmen rostrum, centenarian veterans — frail yet resolute — rose slowly to salute. That moment moved countless viewers to tears. The mountains and rivers remain; the heroes have grown old. Yet history endures — and must never be forgotten.

A Solemn Commemoration — For Peace Hard-Won

     Returning to Beijing to attend the September 3 military parade, I found myself delving deep into history — revisiting the past, reflecting on the present, and feeling profoundly moved.

     Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the nation has held a series of grand military parades: from the inaugural parade of October 1, 1949, to the 10th anniversary in 1959; from the 35th anniversary parade in 1984 to the 50th in 1999; and the 2015 parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War — the 15th such ceremony in the country’s history.  Each grand military parade has become an enduring memory shared across the world. Watching the majestic formations of the People’s Liberation Army on screen has always stirred patriotic pride — Yet to stand there in person was an experience that stirred the soul and left an indelible mark!

     Before the September 3 military parade, our delegation of overseas Chinese media representatives visited several historic sites of the War of Resistance, interviewed surviving veterans, and toured the Veterans’ Portrait Exhibition at the China Millennium Monument. Through these encounters, we gained a fuller, more objective understanding of the war’s immense scope and human cost. The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression stands as one of the greatest wars of national defense in China’s history. After the Lugou Bridge Incident of 1937, the nation entered an era of total resistance. Guided by the Chinese Communist Party, a united front was formed, bringing together all Chinese people to fight a common enemy. The conflict unfolded across two complementary fronts—the Nationalist Government’s regular forces on the main battlefields and the Communist-led forces behind enemy lines. The two fronts supported each other in a struggle that demanded the ultimate sacrifice from countless generals, officers, and soldiers of both camps. Over the course of fourteen years, China lost more than 35 million soldiers and civilians; the Soviet Union, more than 27 million. Historians have noted that China and the Soviet Union served as the principal theaters of the global anti-fascist war in Asia and Europe—pillars that bore the heaviest burdens in the defeat of Japanese militarism and German Nazism, and made decisive contributions to the victory of world peace.

     The grand military parade stands as a solemn celebration of a peace hard-won through generations of sacrifice. I vividly recall the 2015 parade, when more than 300 veterans of the War of Resistance, descendants of fallen heroes, and wartime contributors led the motorcade in two open vehicles, marching at the forefront of the formations. They received the nation’s salute — a gesture of gratitude from the people they once defended. Among them, the veterans’ average age was ninety, and the oldest was 102. At this year’s September 3 parade, as my eyes searched once more for those familiar faces, I learned with sorrow that many of them, now nearly a hundred years old, could no longer take part in the procession due to frail health. Instead, they sat quietly on the reviewing stands at Tiananmen Square, watching the ceremony unfold. From across the square, standing on the observation platform, I raised my eyes and offered them a silent salute. In my ears, I could almost hear again the steadfast voices I once recorded during interviews: “We were never afraid of death—only of being forgotten.” “Only with a strong national defense can the people live in peace and security.”

     These defenders of the nation have endured the ultimate test between life and death.For them, death is not an end, but a return to formation — and to attend the parade once more is to hear the echoes of history resounding through mountains and rivers.For us, the living, the parade is remembrance. To remember is to guard peace; to forget is to lose the faith that peace requires. Only by looking back can we move forward with conviction — safeguarding the peace that was bought at so great a cost.

When the path serves all, justice will always triumph

     At the grand military parade, three Z-8L transport helicopters flew in formation across the sky, each carrying a banner that read: “Justice Shall Prevail,” “Peace Shall Prevail,” “The People Shall Prevail.” The crowd erupted in prolonged cheers. The scene—solemn, radiant, and filled with ceremony—stirred the hearts of millions across the nation and touched countless people around the world. As Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, declared:  “Today, we gather solemnly to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War —to remember history, honor our martyrs, cherish peace, and open the way to the future.”

     At the media briefing during the parade, we interviewed several international guests, all of whom stood firmly as advocates of peace. Among them, Mr. Yokichi Kobayashi, son of former Japanese soldier Kobayashi Kiyoshi, shared a story that moved everyone present. Kiyoshi Kobayashi had once fought as a Japanese soldier in China, where he was wounded and captured. Initially defiant, he was eventually moved by the policies and humanity of the Eighth Route Army, and voluntarily joined their ranks. His commitment to anti-fascism continued through his son, Yokichi, who now serves as Secretary-General of Japan’s Anti-War Association “Coconut Society.”  Remarkably, Mr. Yokichi Kobayashi has attended the commemorative events in 2005, 2015, and 2025—marking the 60th, 70th, and 80th anniversaries of the victory. His memoir, Born Japanese, Dying with a Chinese Soul, has left a lasting impact. As he told us, “Japan, more than ever, must learn from history. Only a nation with the courage to reflect on its past can truly earn the respect of the world.”

     Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was also invited to attend the September 3 Parade. Known for his moral courage, Hatoyama once visited the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, where he ran his trembling hands over the engraved names of the victims, bowed deeply at the mass grave, and publicly apologized for Japan’s wartime atrocities. He later knelt at the Seoul Memorial for Korean Anti-Japanese Martyrs, pledging never again to visit the Yasukuni Shrine. Despite immense domestic pressure, Hatoyama said he attended the parade with a solemn heart:  “Japan must face its history honestly so that such tragedies will never be repeated.”

     Yet even today, it is clear that Japan’s mainstream politics still lacks genuine reflection. Right-wing forces continue to whitewash and glorify wartime aggression, seeking to erase guilt through revisionism. From figures such as Hatoyama Yukio and Mr. Yokichi Kobayashi, we see that conscience in Japan is not extinct—but it is being pushed to the margins. History itself does not disappear, but it is being deliberately obscured. Rather than arguing over whether to forgive, it is far more urgent to ensure that truth is seen and remembered. For when memory fades, disaster draws near. This, too, is one of the deepest meanings of the September 3 Parade: to remember the cost of peace, to honor justice that must prevail, and to keep faith that light will always overcome darkness.

     As President Xi Jinping concluded in his address: “Strength may decide a moment’s outcome, but truth determines the course of history. Justice, brightness, and progress will ultimately triumph over evil, darkness, and reaction. We must always follow the path of peaceful development and work together to safeguard world peace—to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Let history be our mirror, and harmony our guiding virtue.”