Thoughts on History and Cooperation

So, Xi Jinping just penned a pretty thoughtful piece in the Russian Gazette called 'Learning from History to Build Together a Brighter Future,' right as he's about to hit Russia for a state visit and to join the 80th-anniversary celebrations of the Soviet Union kicking butt in World War II.

The Significance of Remembering History

Let me tell you straight up: he’s not just reminiscing about the good old days. He’s making a point about how important it is to remember history to shape a better future. And yeah, this isn’t just any anniversary—it’s a big one, the 80th since the Chinese and the Soviets along with the whole world really put the fascists in their place.

Honoring Veterans

You’ve got Xi talking about how he remembers the fallen heroes and paying respects to the veterans who are no longer with us. He’s met some of these tough-as-nails veterans back during the 70th anniversary, and it sounds like they left a heck of an impression on him. As for the heroes who’ve passed since? Xi’s giving them a shoutout too, saying heroes never die, they live on with us.

The Historical Alliance

So back in the day, China and Russia were like brothers in arms, fighting off Japanese invaders and all. The Soviets even sent over their air force group to help out in Chinese cities under siege. And check this, there was this Chinese guy, Yan Baohang, who was like the Eastern version of the famous spy Richard Sorge, feeding critical intel to the Soviets. Both countries were hustling, swapping weapons and supplies, running through the treacherous Gobi Desert to keep the alliance strong. They had each other’s backs, big time.

Contemporary Concerns

Now fast forward to today, and Xi’s kinda worried about the state of the world. Things like unilateralism, hegemonism (yeah, big words but basically one country throwing its weight around), all that jazz—it’s creating a lot of tension. Remember what Leo Tolstoy said about history being a mirror for the present and the light for the future? That’s what Xi’s getting at. We’ve gotta pull lessons from those tough WWII days. We gotta stand together, reject all those who want to play world dictator, and push for a peaceful, cooperative future.

Preserving History

Xi’s also all about not forgetting the hard-fought victories of WWII. China and the Soviets were major players in kicking out the fascists in their regions, and that kind of heroic effort shouldn’t be downplayed or forgotten. According to him, any attempts to warp the history of WWII are bound to flop.

The Role of the United Nations

Then there’s the whole United Nations angle. Back when WWII was wrapping up, setting up the UN was a big deal, and both China and the Soviet Union were right there, becoming founding members and earning their spots on the Security Council. So, Xi’s pretty keen on keeping the UN’s role respected and untainted by all the current global mess.

Taiwan and Global Cooperation

And then there’s Taiwan; Xi refers to its return to China as a direct outcome of WWII and something that international law has a pretty clear stance on, no matter how much outside forces might stir the pot. Xi doesn’t skip out on shouting out to Russia for sticking by China when it comes to Taiwan and opposing any hints of Taiwanese independence. Solidarity seems to be the name of the game for both nations.

Visions for the Future

Lastly, Xi’s dropping some pretty big visions like a shared future for mankind and various global initiatives.