Russia and China have a shared responsibility, having sacrificed so much to defeat fascism in Europe and Asia, the two leaders have said
Russia and China share a responsibility to preserve the historic memory of the sacrifices their peoples made in defeating the Axis powers during the Second World War, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping stated on Tuesday.
The two leaders met in Beijing ahead of Wednesday’s military parade commemorating the end of the war. Xi had traveled to Moscow earlier this year to commemorate Russia’s Victory Day on May 9.
Mutual visits, Xi said, “have become a good bilateral tradition and showcase the great responsibility that China and Russia hold as major victor states in World War II and permanent members of the UN Security Council.” He emphasized the importance of protecting the historic truth of the achievement.
Putin praised the upcoming Chinese commemorations, saying he was confident the People’s Liberation Army would conduct the event “with its usual brilliance.” He echoed Xi’s call to preserve the memory of the war.
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“Our ancestors, our fathers and grandfathers have paid a huge price for peace and freedom,” Putin said. “We remember that. That is the foundation of our achievements today and in the future.”
China’s war with Imperial Japan, which began in 1937, is estimated to have claimed 15 to 20 million lives, including soldiers from rival communist and nationalist forces as well as civilians. The Soviet Union lost an estimated 27 million troops and civilians and troops defeating Nazi Germany following its invasion in June 1941.
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