MOSCOW — A photo exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held at the China Cultural Center in Moscow on Thursday.

The exhibition, titled Shoulder to Shoulder for Shared Victory, featured dozens of old photos from the archives of Xinhua News Agency, which captured key wartime events, the heroic struggles of the Chinese people, and the joint contribution of China and Russia to defeating fascism and militarism, as well as contemporary photos illustrating recent China-Russia military and cultural cooperation.

Galina Kulikova, first vice-chairperson of the Russia-China Friendship Association, noted in her opening remarks that Russia solemnly celebrated the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9.

"These events pay tribute to the great victory of our nations. We, on the Western Front, and China, on the Eastern Front, won a decisive victory. This victory was achieved by our countries at the cost of more than 64 million lives. In memory of those who sacrificed so that we can gather today, celebrate these dates, and solve the problems that the heads of our states set for us, we are obliged to and will always remember them," Kulikova says.

Zhang Wei, minister counselor of the Chinese embassy in Russia, says China and Russia made tremendous national sacrifices and significant historic contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and forged a deep combat friendship.

This photo exhibition is another thematic event to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, Zhang says.

Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, the two countries will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder and closely collaborate back to back, and join hands to promote a community with a shared future for mankind, he adds.

The event, supported by the Chinese embassy in Russia, is organized by the Eurasia Regional Bureau of Xinhua, the China Image Group, the China Cultural Center in Moscow and the Russia-China Friendship Society.

Xinhua