Chinese President Xi Jinping gives a speech on Sept. 3, 2015 before the start of the country's first ever V-Day parade. (Xinhua)
BEIJING,Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday gave a speech before the start of the country's first ever V-Day parade, stressing the significance of China's victory over the Japanese invaders in WWII and China's commitment to peaceful development. The following are some of the highlights of the speech:
--In that devastating war (the World Anti-Fascist War), the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression started the earliest and lasted the longest.
--The Chinese people held ground in the main theater in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War, thus making major contribution to its victory.
--Prejudice, discrimination, hatred and war can only cause disaster and suffering, while mutual respect, equality, peaceful development and common prosperity represent the right path to take.
--War is the sword of Damocles that still hangs over mankind. We must learn the lessons of history and dedicate ourselves to peace.
--All countries should jointly uphold the international order and system underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, build a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and advance the noble cause of global peace and development.
--We Chinese love peace. No matter how much stronger it may become, China will never seek hegemony or expansion. It will never inflict its past suffering on any other nation.
--I hereby announce that China will cut troops by 300,000.
