#China #Beijing #Peking University #War of Resistance #Chinese History

Peking University Hosts Symposium on Warfare History

On November 2nd and 3rd, nearly 100 distinguished scholars gathered at Peking University for a significant academic symposium focused on China's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan's return to China from a global perspective. The event aimed to elevate the discourse surrounding this critical period while encouraging cross-cultural dialogue and international academic collaboration.

The symposium welcomed experts from various regions including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. This gathering fostered a comprehensive academic approach to understanding the wartime experiences and the broader implications of the conflict. One of the key objectives was to illuminate the global significance and contemporary relevance of the resistance movement, enabling a richer analysis of its impact and importance today.

The opening ceremony featured prominent speakers from respected institutions. Notable among them were Zhang Baijia from the Central Committee's Party History and Literature Research Institute, Lu Fang-sang of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Hans van de Ven, a visiting scholar from the University of Cambridge, Liu Wei-kai of National Chengchi University, and Weili Ye from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Each speaker contributed unique insights into the discussion, setting the stage for the sessions that followed.

The symposium was structured into 20 parallel sessions and a roundtable discussion. This format provided participants with a valuable platform to delve into diverse aspects of the war's history. Topics ranged widely, incorporating discussions on economic and financial matters, military affairs, international relations, global cooperation, and cultural implications of the war. By transcending geographical and disciplinary boundaries, the symposium fostered an in-depth discourse that allowed for new interpretations and understandings of this historical period.

Through rigorous academic exchanges and keynote speeches, the symposium contributed to creating a more authentic, balanced, and multifaceted narrative of China’s resistance against Japanese aggression. It also offered a crucial opportunity for individuals from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to engage in face-to-face dialogue, strengthening unity and collectively advancing the significant cause of national reunification.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the anti-Fascist World War, as well as Taiwan's restoration to China. The Peking University symposium aimed not only to create consensus but also to enhance knowledge regarding these historical facts while promoting cohesion through mutual understanding across the Taiwan Strait.

Overall, the event proved to be a vital step toward fostering a collective memory and appreciation of shared history, highlighting the importance of academic collaboration in shaping the future discourse surrounding China's past and its implications for current and future generations.