MINSK, 29 August (BelTA) - In an interview with China Media Group, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about his expectations for the 3 September parade in Beijing, which he will be attending at the invitation of the Chinese leadership, BelTA has learned.
During the conversation, the discussion turned to the upcoming visit of the head of state to China and his participation in the celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of victory over Japanese militarism and the end of World War II, which will take place in Beijing on 3 September. Aleksandr Lukashenko had previously attended similar events marking the 70th anniversary, and he was asked if he had any special expectations this time.
“I want to see what over the past 10 years you have achieved in military terms, the defense capability of China, and compare it to what it was like 10 years ago,” the Belarusian leader said. “Back then, it was a very strong, very powerful organization. You showcased the most advanced weapons. I believe that our expectations will be met by Xi Jinping and he will not let us down; he will show the most advanced technologies you have in China today.”
Continuing the conversation, the historical commonality of the Belarusian and Chinese peoples, who suffered during World War II, was emphasized. “We both lost a great number of people. They say that we sacrificed 30 million people on the altar of victory. The same number of Chinese people perished during that terrible time. Japanese militarists killed everyone they could, exterminating the entire population,” the president said.
The head of state emphasized that it is necessary to make efforts to preserve historical memory and to form a correct understanding of the history of the Second World War among new generations, so that nothing similar to this war ever happens again. Although he added that this topic was more relevant for Belarus than for China.
“Despite your large population [in China], I know how you value human life,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “China is such a country, and its people are such that they do not forget their past. They never cross out anything in history, and do not try to trample or remove anything from this history. Therefore, the preservation of historical memory is perhaps not as relevant for you as it is for us,” the president said.
“Here, we are under the influence of various forces, reviving militarism, European revanchism: in order to take revenge for the defeat in that war. This, after all, affects not only the culture but also the consciousness of our people,” he continued. “And here, frankly speaking, we need to learn from you how to preserve this memory and how to cherish that memory, as the Chinese do. We in Belarus have learned to do this. Not a single monument of ours is in neglect, and there are thousands of them. We remember everything that happened here with us. As long as we remember history, it will not happen again. It definitely will not happen again. Once we forget, it will come back to us.”
Therefore, the peoples of Belarus and China cherish the memory of our victory. “It was a truly great Victory for the development of the entire planet. If we had lost, we would develop under entirely different criteria today,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
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