by Xinhua author Jin Jing
LONDON, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) — Highlighting the West’s restricted understanding of China’s sacrifices throughout World War II (WWII) as a “real issue,” Zoe Reed, chair emerita of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), mentioned humanity should study from historical past to chart the best way ahead.
Western training presents “limited” and sometimes “narrow” content material relating to China’s function within the warfare, Reed instructed Xinhua in an interview forward of the September commemoration occasions in Beijing marking the eightieth anniversary of the victory within the Chinese People’s War of Resistance towards Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
“We in the West sort of think World War II was just a European thing with a bit of American involvement, and we don’t really think through how the rest of the world has suffered,” Reed mentioned.
“Clearly, we have very limited education about what happens in China and what happened in China. So what we can do to bring that to people’s attention is valuable,” she added.
Reed, of combined Chinese and British heritage, has a conventional Chinese identify, Sun Ruyi, which accurately means “May things go as one wishes.” Her father, orphaned throughout the warfare towards Japanese aggression, later traveled to Britain within the Forties to review with the assistance of Joseph Needham, a famend British scholar and the primary chairman and president of SACU. With such a deep private bond to China, Reed determined to hold on Needham’s mission and have become chair of the affiliation in 2009.
In recognition of her vital contributions to boosting Britain-China friendship, Reed has been invited to attend the upcoming commemoration occasions in Beijing. She mentioned she felt “completely honored and completely amazed” upon receiving the invitation.
“I feel very delighted that the hard work of SACU over these last many years is being recognized by this opportunity,” she added.
Founded in 1965 in London, SACU marks its sixtieth anniversary this yr. Over the a long time, the society has labored to advertise mutual understanding and friendship between the British and Chinese peoples, with a selected concentrate on broadening the horizons of younger Britons and enhancing their understanding of China.
To increase consciousness of China’s wartime historical past and commemorate the friendship cast between the 2 nations throughout World War II, Reed has made selling the story of George Hogg, a British journalist who devoted his life to supporting China’s resistance towards Japanese aggression, a key a part of SACU’s work.
In 2015, SACU launched the George Hogg Education Fund to advertise academic exchanges between areas and establishments in each nations, and to boost public consciousness of China, notably relating to its wartime expertise.
In April, Reed personally helped manage a visit for Hogg’s family and historians to a number of locations in China, together with Gansu Province, retracing Hogg’s footsteps. With the help of SACU, a George Hogg memorial exhibition opened on July 22 at a museum in Harpenden in Hertfordshire, Hogg’s hometown in Britain, marking the eightieth anniversary of his loss of life.
Looking forward, Reed mentioned SACU will additional develop strategic cooperation with numerous companions to deliver its messages to a wider viewers in Britain. The group additionally plans to fund British college students to journey and research in China, enabling extra younger Britons to realize a deeper understanding of the nation.
“To build that shared understanding, if we can do that with the next generation, then (it will be) so much better,” she mentioned.
On Britain-China ties, she emphasised that understanding one another’s historical past and respecting totally different improvement paths and viewpoints are key to sustaining sound bilateral relations.
She additionally expressed hope that Britain and China can additional strengthen cooperation on widespread world challenges, equivalent to local weather change and world well being.
“There will hopefully be a focus on things of global impact where we all have a shared humanity and need to work together,” she mentioned. “You need to learn from history to plan your way forward.”