New York City, September 23, 2016 – The China Energy Fund Committee organized a forum on the history of the Sino-Japanese War, the first of its kind to bring together scholars from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The forum aimed at promoting both the study of the war’s history and the solidarity of all Chinese people, including overseas Chinese. In addition to the participating scholars, dozens of overseas Chinese community groups attended the forum.

Speakers at the forum discussed their studies of the war, with some the participants sharing their own personal memories and experiences. The call for peace was underscored by the remembrance of the war’s martyrs and the common sacrifice undertaken by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Participants called on Chinese people at home and abroad to honor the memory of the war, and to embrace a renewed spirit of solidarity among all Chinese.

Dr. Patrick C.P. Ho,Vice-Chairman and Secretary General of CEFC

Dr. Patrick C.P. Ho,Vice-Chairman and Secretary General of CEFC, presented keynote remarks at the forum. Dr. Ho called the Sino-Japanese War a great turning point for the Chinese nation. The hard-earned victory, he stressed, has now marked more than one hundred years of resistance to foreign enemies.

Dr. Ho also said the victory highlighted Chinese unity. Regardless of past origins, current location, or political movement, every Chinese person could find hope and community in the shared sacrifices and victory of the war.

Dr. Ho called on all Chinese people to remember the history of the war and the national unity which brought about its successful end. So long as this spirit of unity is kept alive, said Dr. Ho, the Chinese nation will continue to prevail and grow.

CEFC decided to host the forum in the United States because many overseas Chinese participated in or supported China’s fight against Japan. Their contribution, explained Dr. Ho, should not be forgotten. The victory against Japan was a victory also for overseas Chinese, and China’s achievements in recent decades, too, would not have been possible without the work of overseas Chinese.

Hau Pei-tsun, a retired military general from Taiwan

Hau Pei-tsun, a retired military general from Taiwan, agreed that the victory of the Sino-Japanese War was a victory for China as a whole. “When we look back on the history,” he explained, “we have to ask why China – a poor and less advanced country – could defeat a modernized, imperial Japan. The main reason was the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the CCP. The unification of the entire Chinese nation bound the will of the people to fight until the end of the war.”

Other scholars and participants discussed the history of the war in detail, reviewing the timeline of the war, the war strategy of Chiang Kai-shek, and the major dramas of the war.

The China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC) is an NGO with Special Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC).It serves as a high-end strategic think-tank engaged in energy strategy research, energy and public diplomacy, global energy cooperation, and cultural exchange.