More than 300 World War II veterans from home and abroad gather in Beijing's Chaoyang Park yesterday to unveil the Beijing Peace Monument and issue the Beijing Peace Declaration. The event was part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of China's victory against Japanese aggression. - Xinhua

More than 300 World War II veterans from around the world signed a peace declaration and inaugurated a peace monument in Beijing yesterday, marking the 60th anniversary of China's victory in its war of resistance against Japanese aggression.
"Yesterday, we served in the armed forces. Sixty years ago, we experienced the Second World War. Today, We are survivors ... Here we declare our hopes: Love life. Cherish peace," the declaration reads.
The declaration was engraved in Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish on a 100-meter-long wall, named the Beijing Peace Monument, set up in Chaoyang Park in Beijing .
"We came to this land at war from our country and fought with brave Chinese people 60 years ago. We sacrificed to fight against the fascists for world peace," said US veteran Alfred Gardner.
"Now we come again 60 years later to contribute to lasting world peace," he said.
As participants and survivors of WWII, the veterans were warmly welcomed in China and attended a series of commemorative activities.
The United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a banquet last night in honor of the veterans and their family members.
The victory of the resistance war against Japanese aggression was the first time the Chinese people beat foreign invaders in its modern history, marking the end of a depression and the start of a rejuvenation for the nation, said Liu Yandong, head of the UFWD.
She said that China's rapid economic and social progress over the past decades has made the Chinese all over the world feel proud and is the best memorial service for the martyrs and compatriots who died in the war.
According to official figures, China lost 35 million lives during the resistance war against Japanese aggression (1937-45).