On May 5, 2015, the 12th “Lanting Forum” was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the theme of “Jointly safeguarding victorious outcome of World War II and creating a bright future of win-win cooperation”. Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping delivered a keynote speech. More than 200 people attended the Forum, including envoys from foreign embassies in China, representatives from international organizations in China, representatives from the business community, relevant experts and scholars as well as journalists from Chinese and foreign media.

Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said in his speech that in a few days, President Xi Jinping will attend the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War to be held in Moscow and visit Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin of Russia. As two major battlefields in Asia and Europe respectively in the World War II, China and Russia made significant contributions to winning the final victory of the World War II. The two peoples fought side by side, supported each other and forged a solid friendship during the World War II. The two sides have decided to jointly hold a series of celebrations and commemorations this year within the bilateral framework and multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in order to warn people around the world to engrave the profound lessons from the World War II, adhere to the correct historical perspective towards the World War II, firmly oppose any act whitewashing the fascist and militarist aggression, and resolutely oppose any attempt distorting the history.

Cheng stressed that the UN Charter and other international documents have already drawn a final conclusion on the nature of the World War II and historical significance of victory of the World War II, which shall not be doubted or distorted. The international order centered on the UN and based on the victory of the World War II has guaranteed world peace and development in the following 70 years after the War and deserves joint safeguarding by all countries in the world. In the face of complex and profound changes in international situation, only by fully accommodating each other’s concerns, continuously seeking and expanding common interests and endeavoring to establish a new model of international relations with win-win cooperation as its core, can all countries better deal with all kinds of threats and challenges and promote the noble cause of human peace and development.

Cheng pointed out that as the largest neighboring countries, founding members of the UN and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia practice and promote win-win cooperation. On the basis of equality, trust, mutual support, common prosperity and lasting friendship, the two countries have built a new model of country-to-country relations of non-alignment, non-confrontation and no moves against any third party, and then forged a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, setting a model of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between major and neighboring countries. The two sides will continuously work together and join efforts with the international community to promote the establishment of a new model of international relations with win-win cooperation as its core and jointly safeguard the victorious outcome of the World War II and international fairness and justice, so as to create a bright future of peace, development and cooperation for mankind.

The Forum is hosted by the Public Diplomacy Office of the Foreign Ministry, co-organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association and chaired by Honorary President Zhang Deguang of the China Foundation for International Studies. Chinese and foreign guests such as Vice President Yu Zhenqi of the China Foundation for International Studies, Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov, Senior Consultant Wang Haiyun of the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, Director Feng Shaolei of the Center for Russian Studies of the East China Normal University and Researcher Sheng Shiliang of the World Problem Research Center of the Xinhua News Agency delivered featured speeches respectively on topics such as the contributions of China and Russia to the victory of the World War II, the significance of safeguarding the fruits of the World War II, the enlightenment of major-country relations in the World War II on the contemporary era and China and Russia promoting the establishment of a new model of international relations with win-win cooperation as its core, and communicated and interacted with the guests and journalists.