The Chinese Consulate General in Lagos, together with the West Africa Association for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, observed the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the international anti-fascist war during the Second World War on Saturday, 16th August 2025.
The documentary premiere, ‘The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru’, brought together diplomats, government representatives, associations, and students from tertiary institutions.
While delivering her speech, Consular General Yan Yuqing pointed out that the premiere’s purpose is to recall the past, pay homage to heroes who gave their lives for justice and peace, and join forces for a brighter future for humanity, a concept endowed with special significance and importance.
‘In 1941, during World War II, more than 1,800 British prisoners of war, who had surrendered in Hong Kong, were forcibly put aboard the Lisbon Maru by the Japanese military and transported to Japan.
“When passing near Dongji Island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, the ship was attacked and began to sink. The Japanese not only failed to rescue the British prisoners, but also locked them inside the cabin. Fortunately, local Chinese fishermen, at the risk of their own lives, rescued the British soldiers drifting at sea and brought them to the island.
”The brave choice and action of the Chinese fishermen changed the fate of thousands, and left a touch of warmth and dignity in this heavy chapter of wartime history. It reminds us that the mission of peace rests upon each and every one of our shoulders,” she noted .
Ms Yuqing stressed that despite ongoing regional conflicts, the mission of peace must remain essential. She encouraged people worldwide to learn from history and capitalize on every chance for peace and development.
” Let us learn from history, hold firm in our convictions, seize the opportunities for peace and development and join hands to write a new chapter in China-Nigeria and China- Africa friendship and cooperation ‘She said
Also speaking,the Secretary General of West Africa Association for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, Jacob Wood revealed that the screening of the documentary is significant and showcases how historical memory can serve as a bridge between nations and continents.
” This film reminds us that individual acts of courage can change the course of history,
and it is a story of victory, and not just military victory, but the victory of the human spirit over adversity, compassion over cruelty, and of hope over despair’
Wood aspires that the fortitude of the prisoners of war, and the spirit of international cooperation inspire everyone to construct bridges of friendship, understanding, and peace globally
