The First Opium War in 1840-42 marked the beginning of modern and contemporary Chinese history. Beginning from that year, China was reduced step to step to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. China at that time was faced with two major crises: One was national crisis caused by big powers that waited for opportunities to carve up China; the other was social crisis featuring the disintegration of the feudal society.

In contemporary and modern Chinese history, beginning from the First Opium War of Britain's invasion in 1840, China had experienced several invasions by foreign enemies, including the invasion by the allied forces of Britain and France, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, and the invasion by the Eight-Power Allied Forces, causing the existence of the Chinese nation to become increasingly perilous.

Japan, a late-coming imperialist state, had increasingly swelling ambition to annex the Chinese territory. It launched in succession the "September 18 Incident" in 1931 and the "July 7 Incident" in 1937, thus putting the Chinese nation at the most dangerous moment. China thus waged the extremely hard and bitter anti-Japanese war for national salvation and survival. On September 2, 1945, Japan formally signed the instrument of surrender; September 3 that same year became the day of victory in the Chinese War of Resistance to Japanese Aggression.

The victory of the Chinese anti-Japanese war is also a hallmark of modern and contemporary Chinese history. It indicates that for more than a century, the hard and bitter struggles for the salvation and survival of the Chinese nation were finally crowned with major results; it indicates that the Chinese national spirit centered on patriotism is being further condensed, formed and developed, and has become the spiritual source for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; it also indicates that in the world, the Chinese nation is no longer a nation allowing itself to be trampled upon, the Chinese nation is standing up. In modern and contemporary Chinese history, victory in the anti-Japanese war should be a symbol of China's basic solution of national crisis.

The process of anti-Japanese war was also a process of the reconstruction of the Chinese society and the solution of social crisis. While coping with major crisis, the human society will witness the process of the rebuilding of a social organization; what's more, China itself at that time was in serious social crises. During the anti-Japanese war, the CPC-led Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, in the harsh operational environment in the enemy's rear areas, built a dozen or so anti-Japanese base areas and completed the reconstruction of basic Chinese social organization, gaining useful experiences in the shaping of democratic mechanism, solving the problem of lands and other economy-related contradictions, thus laying a solid foundation for resolving China's social crises.

From the perspective of world history, the victory of Chinese anti-Japanese war also marks the fact that the Chinese nation stands on itself in the galaxy of world nations. In modern and contemporary history, the Chinese history before the war of resistance was a history of humiliation; the country was defeated in almost all battles, this caused pain in the heart of every Chinese. At the same time, the "immense vigorous vitality" exhibited by the Chinese people in their war of resistance against aggression also commanded the admiration of the aggressors.

During the anti-Japanese war, the Chinese people gave full play to this vigorous vitality, as an important member among the countries waging the world anti-fascist war, China has made major contribution to the victory of the world anti-fascist war. Victory in the Chinese anti-Japanese war had an important enlightening role in the surging tide of subsequent world national independence and national liberation.

In modern and contemporary Chinese history, Japan's invasion of China marked the limit of the Chinese nation moving toward crisis, and the anti-Japanese war offered an opportunity for the Chinese nation to advance toward rejuvenation. "Difficulties and hardships help you secure success", which is a portrayal of a turn in the fate of this nation.

In his speech delivered on September 3 at the meeting marking the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war and the world anti-fascist war, President Hu Jintao pointed out, " Today, the development of the Chinese nation is faced with a rare historic opportunity, and the bright prospect for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has appeared before us." We, all Chinese sons and daughters, "should shoulder the historical responsibility for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and should, through their own efforts, continue writing the new glorious chapter in the history of the development of the Chinese nation." Here lies the significance of our commemoration of victory in our War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

This article by senior editor Huang Qing is carried on the front page of People's Daily Overseas Edition and is translated by People's Daily Online