China, Russia pledge to defend victorious outcome of WWII

MOSCOW -- China and Russia agreed here on Thursday to firmly defend the victorious outcome of the World War II (WWII).

The two sides made the pledge in a joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era that was signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

China and Russia also vowed to resolutely crush any act that attempts to tamper with WWII history, smear the historical achievements of China and Russia in WWII, or tarnish the image of the liberators. The two sides strongly condemn the acts to desecrate or damage memorial facilities of WWII martyrs.

In the statement, the two countries described WWII as an unprecedented catastrophe in human history, noting that China and the Soviet Union were the main battlefields in Asia and Europe, and served as the mainstay of resistance against militarism and fascism.

The Chinese people and the Soviet people have made great historical contributions to safeguarding human dignity and restoring world peace, it added.

In today's world, China and Russia shoulder a shared responsibility and mission of maintaining a correct historical perspective on WWII and the two sides will always remember the just feat of the two peoples in maintaining world peace, said the statement.

Both sides, according to the document, are committed to preventing the resurgence of anti-humanity Nazism and racial supremacy, and will continue to jointly resist the glorification of the Nazis and their accomplices, the rise of neo-Nazism, the restoration of militarism, as well as the promotion of various forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia.

The two countries call on the international community to respect and defend the fundamental principles established by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, which aim to prevent attempts to wage war, and commit genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity, said the statement.

It added that the rulings of two tribunals are the cornerstones of contemporary international law and international order, which are unshakable and allow no doubt.

China and Russia also agree to continue holding education and commemoration events in various forms.