As two key members of the Allies in World War II (WWII) which both made tremendous sacrifices to secure the victory in the war, China and Britain have the duty to defend the outcome of the war and maintain the postwar world order, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said.

As the world is marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied forces’ victory in WWII, the ambassador spoke to Xinhua recently, urging China and Britain to strengthen their cooperation as well as maintain the postwar world order.

In WWII, China and Britain fought closely alongside each other, Liu said, adding that the peoples of the two countries both suffered immense losses and also made indelible contributions to the ultimate victory over the fascist Axis powers.

“The two countries’ efforts to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in WWII are not only about revisiting the past, but also about looking into the future. Both Britain and China have the duty to oppose any attempts and actions that distort history,” Liu said.

For decades, people from Western countries have only known WWII as the battles fought on the European continent and have not been familiar with the main battlefield of WWII’s Asian Theater — the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, which has often been underestimated in history textbooks, Liu said.

But the situation has been changing, Liu said, adding that scholars from Britain and other countries have already noticed their negligence and are starting to devote more research to that chapter of history.

Liu also urged the two countries to promote cooperation on the study of WWII history, and to better maintain the current world order as well as contribute to world peace after reflecting on history.

Talking about Beijing’s upcoming Sept 3 victory parade, Liu said the Chinese people hope that holding a parade on that historical day can help China and other countries commemorate the past, cherish the memory of heroes and mourn the lives lost in the flames of war.

China’s parade aims to show the Chinese people’s resolution to work with the international community to create a better future as well as realize long-standing peace for all mankind, he said.

The Chinese ambassador also stressed that the world should not forget the catastrophes that fascism brought about and draw lessons from history so that such disasters will never be repeated.