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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
MINSK, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — A journey through time and memory began in the capital of Belarus on the evening of July 31. A photo exhibition titled "Shoulder to Shoulder – Towards a Common Victory" opened in Minsk, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.
The event was organized by the Minsk office of the Xinhua News Agency and China Image Group with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Belarus.
Hundreds of guests gathered together, carefully passing between the stands and stopping at 34 historical photographs. These pictures vividly reflect the heroic path of the Chinese people in the fight against the Japanese aggressors, captured the touching feats of Soviet volunteer pilots who came to the aid of China, and demonstrated the deep friendship that developed between the peoples of China and Belarus in the fire of war.
First Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Lukashevich, having viewed the exhibition, told a Xinhua correspondent that the exhibition is very meaningful and historically accurate. It truthfully recreates the events of the bloody war of resistance of the Chinese people and evokes a deep response among Belarusians.
"These photo documents, which are presented at the exhibition, confirm the truth of the past events. It is very important now to talk about the true side of this history. We do not incite hatred, but we respectfully honor the common memory. The photographs remind us that Belarus and China take a united position in protecting the historical truth," S. Lukashevich noted and added that it is necessary to convey to the younger generation that the historical truth is a very important element for the peoples of Belarus and China. Without knowing history, it is easy to become a victim of deception.
Deputy Chairperson of the Belarus-China Friendship Society Alina Grishkevich did not hide her excitement while viewing the exhibition. “The black and white photographs show the suffering of the Chinese people during the war – the pain that Belarusians know well.”
A. Grishkevich noted that this year, when the two countries are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War together, the feeling of empathy is especially strong. “During the Great Patriotic War, my relatives were brutally killed, and their homes were destroyed. And at that time, friends in distant China were fighting for the independence and liberation of their homeland.” According to her, the pain of war knows no bounds: “I hope that Belarus and China will always move forward together under a peaceful sky.”
Standing in front of a photograph of a battlefield in northeast China, Sergei Vergeichik, an analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, said he visited many memorials to the resistance war while studying in China, including the Nanjing Massacre Memorial. “These photographs bring back those memories again.”
“China contributed to the victory over fascism and suffered enormous losses,” said S. Vergeichik, adding that the unity and spiritual strength of the Chinese people demonstrated in those years evoke deep respect.
"Belarus and China have a common history of fighting shoulder to shoulder," noted the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus for ideological work, Pyotr Petrovsky. He noted that Mao Zedong's eldest son, Mao Anying, participated in the Great Patriotic War of the USSR as a political instructor of a tank company of the 1st Belorussian Front. "This is our common pride and incentive for future unity."
Student Polina Zudova said she was most moved by a photograph of Chinese and Soviet veterans embracing. “This is true brotherly friendship,” she said, adding that the exhibition helped her better understand history and appreciate the current relations between the two countries even more.
“Belarusians and Chinese have a lot in common: common values, a common view of the world order,” says P. Zudova. In her opinion, today, when some countries are trying to distort history, it is especially important for the youth of Belarus and China to preserve and pass on the truth about the past together.
Many guests took memorable photos near the poster with the inscription “Fighting shoulder to shoulder, marching forward hand in hand.” Behind them are echoes of history, in their eyes is hope for the future.
"The all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership between Belarus and China is today based on a common historical memory. Since our ancestors shed blood together, our duty is to defend truth and peace together," noted S. Vergeichik.
"Remembering history, we will be able to firmly defend the post-war world order. When today some countries are trying to impose their own hegemony and superiority on the rest of the world, we – Belarus and China, together, as 80 years ago, stand as a united front in a joint struggle for a multipolar, fair world order," P. Petrovsky summed up. -0-
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