Allies in war, partners in peace: Wang Lutong notes China's commemoration of the end of the Second World War and proclaims the principles that underlay the global effort against fascism.

• Author: Lutong, Wang
• Position: Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War against Japanese Aggression

On 2 September 1945, aboard USS Missouri moored in Tokyo Bay, Japan's representative signed the Instrument of Surrender. Representatives from nine Allied countries, including China, the United States, Britain, Russia and New Zealand, also signed the instrument, which formalised the surrender of Japan. This ceremony marking the end of the Second World War, which caused enormous damage to human society.

China and New Zealand both made significant contributions to the global war against fascism. Despite the fact that New Zealand's main forces were deployed in Europe, thousands of New Zealand soldiers also fought valiantly in the Pacific. The 3rd Division of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and parts of both the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force fought heroic battles on tropical islands, enduring harsh conditions. Proportionally, New Zealand had more casualties than any other Commonwealth country.

China was the key Far Eastern theatre of the global anti-fascist war. Chinese resistance to Japanese aggression played a decisive role in the final defeat of the Japanese forces. China's war of resistance started earlier than the battles that took place in other countries, and lasted the longest. During the arduous conflict, the Chinese people contained and fought against nearly 80 per cent of the main force of the Japanese militarists, weakening their capacity by 1.5 million troops.

The war in China supported Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific, and prevented strategic co-ordination between the Japanese fascists and their counterparts in Germany and Italy. During the war of resistance, which lasted fourteen years, the Chinese military and civilians made enormous sacrifices, bearing over 35 million casualties, including more than 3.8 million soldiers. The economic loss to China was in excess of US$600 billion.

We will never forget the precious support rendered to the Chinese people by anti-fascist allies, including New Zealand. New Zealand Chinese businessmen and trade unions led a boycott movement against Japanese imports, while watersiders refused to load scrap metal destined for Japan. Rewi Alley initiated a movement to organise industrial co-operatives in China to provide military and civilian supplies during wartime. The Chinese industrial co-operatives became a unique force for unemployed workers and refugees to support themselves, and to support the war of resistance against Japan. Kathleen Hall, whose...