China-Russia academic workshop discusses WWII legacy and global peace

The first China-Russia academic workshop of 2025, co-hosted by the High-End Think Tank for China-Russia Strategic Cooperation under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), was held virtually on April 2, under the theme "Historical Memory of China-Russia Relations: Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War".

The workshop brought together approximately 40 scholars from both countries to reflect on the historical legacy of World War II and its contemporary relevance in international relations.

Li Zhenli, deputy director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at CASS, emphasized the significance of the event as part of this year's key commemorative activities. He noted that China and the former Soviet Union played pivotal roles in the Asian and European theaters of WWII, supporting each other in the struggle against fascism. In today's complex international environment, he stressed that both nations must defend the accurate historical narrative of WWII and work together to promote a community with a shared future for mankind.

Echoing this sentiment, Julia Melnikova, program manager at RIAC, emphasized the workshop's role in reinforcing shared historical memory and supporting the stability of the international order.

Andrey Kortunov, academic director at RIAC, examined the structural causes behind WWII and the evolution of the international system since. He highlighted the ongoing need for China and Russia to jointly uphold global peace and security.

Professor Vladimir Baranovsky of MGIMO University emphasized that sustainable international relations require major powers to transcend internal political and ideological divides. The greatest lesson of WWII, he noted, is the importance of cooperation among major powers to preserve the postwar order.

Addressing the role of historical memory, CASS researcher Liang Qiang called for greater efforts to defend the legacy of victory in WWII and promote accurate historical narratives in the face of growing misinformation and revisionism.

Pang Dapeng, deputy director of the CASS Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, stated that the international order established after WWII is rooted in the victory against fascism. Safeguarding the authority of the United Nations and promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world are essential to achieving shared peace and development.

Wei Yutong contributed to this story.