2020年9月3日，駐東帝汶大使肖建國於中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利75周年之際，在東主流報紙《獨立報》發表題為《以史為鑑，擁抱和平》的英文及德頓語署名文章。文章中英文全文如下：
9月3日和9月5日是值得中東兩國人民紀念的日子。今年9月3日，是中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利75周年紀念日。5日，是75年前日本侵略軍向東帝汶行政當局放下武器投降的日子。第二次世界大戰是人類歷史上一場空前浩劫，戰火遍及亞洲、歐洲、非洲、大洋洲，包括中國、東帝汶在內的80多個國家和地區、約20多億人口捲入其中，給世界和平與人類文明帶來巨大災難。這場戰爭也是一場正義戰勝邪惡、光明戰勝黑暗、進步戰勝反動的偉大戰爭，戰後以和平為中心建立起來的國際新秩序，以聯合國為核心的多邊主義，成為我們享受75年安寧與發展的根本保障，為人類文明進步帶來重大而深遠的影響。
中國人民抗日戰爭是世界反法西斯戰爭的重要組成部分，開始時間最早，延續時間最長。在中國共產黨的領導下，中國人民於1931年日本入侵開始抗戰，歷時14年，犧牲最慘重。據不完全統計，中國軍民傷亡3500萬人，經濟損失達6000億美元。中國戰場長期牽制和抗擊了日本軍國主義的主要兵力，對徹底覆滅日本侵略者起到決定性作用。中國人民抗日戰爭在戰略上策應和支持了盟國作戰，遲滯了日本侵略者進犯亞太其他國家，包括東南亞國家的時間和步伐。中國人民抗日戰爭的偉大勝利，為最終戰勝世界法西斯反動勢力、維護世界和平的偉大事業作出了不可磨滅的歷史貢獻。
中東兩國人民有著被日本軍國主義者侵略、奴役的共同遭遇。在中國，日本侵略者製造了南京大屠殺等一系列滅絕人性的慘案，犯下了令人髮指的罪行。在東帝汶，日本借二戰之機於1942年春佔領東帝汶。為了抗擊日本侵略，許多東帝汶民眾參加了澳大利亞人組建的抗日遊擊隊，更多的東民眾通過提供糧食、避難所、輜重，擔任嚮導等方式支持遊擊隊，但都遭到日軍的血腥鎮壓。日軍佔領東帝汶三年內，殘忍殺害了6萬餘百姓，近12％的東居民被戰爭奪去生命。東成為在戰爭中喪生比率最高的國家之一。
前事不忘，後事之師。戰爭已經過去了75年，我們這一代人都出生在戰後，從未經歷戰爭的殘酷，對先輩們為了爭取和平付出的代價沒有切身感受，但「勿忘歷史、反對戰爭、珍視和平」的理念永不過時。中東人民都是熱愛和平的民族，中東兩國銘記歷史、緬懷先烈，並不是為了延續仇恨，而是為了更好地反對戰爭，珍愛和平。
第二次世界大戰啟示我們，和平猶如空氣和陽光，受益而不覺，失之則難存。今天，和平與發展已經成為時代主題，但我們所處的世界仍不安定、發展不平衡。利比亞、葉門和敘利亞等地仍處於武裝衝突中，普遍和平遠未實現。單邊主義和保護主義攪亂全球供應鏈和價值鏈，損害國際貿易，世界經濟在不確定性中艱難掙扎。特別是當今新冠疫情給人類帶來威脅，再次充分說明人類是休戚與共的命運共同體，我們必須反對單邊主義，攜手團結合作，才能取得抗疫勝利。
以史為鑑，珍愛和平。中國願和東帝汶一道，共同維護以聯合國憲章宗旨和原則為核心的國際秩序和國際體系，共同推進世界和平與發展的崇高事業，為子孫後代建設一個持久和平、普遍安全、共同繁榮、開放包容、清潔美麗的世界。
Embrace Peace from History
September 3rd and September 5th are worthy of commemorating by Chinese and Timorese peoples. September 3rd this year marks the 75thanniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. September 5th is the day when the Japanese military rendered its weaponry to the Timor-Leste authority in 1945. The World War II is an unprecedented holocaust in the history of mankind. It raged across Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, involving more than 2 billion people in more than 80 countries and regions, including China and Timor-Leste, and brought a huge disaster to world peace and human civilization. The war was a victory of justice over evil, light over darkness and progress over reaction. The new international order centred on peace and multilateralism with the United Nations at its core, which was established after the war, has become the fundamental guarantee for our enjoyment of 75-year's peace and development, as well as brings significant and far-reaching influence on the progress of human civilization.
The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, as an integral part of the World War II, began the earliest and lasted the longest. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese people began their War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1931, which lasted for 14 years and made great sacrifice. According to incomplete statistics, there were 35 million military and civilian casualties in China, and the economic losses amounted to 600 billion US dollars. For a long time, the Chinese battlefield contained and fought against the main forces of the Japanese militarism, and played a decisive role in the complete victory against the Japanese invaders. The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression strategically supported the allied forces in their war of resistance against Japanese expansion, and delayed the Japanese aggressors' invasion of other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including countries in Southeast Asia. The great victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has made an indelible historic contribution to the cause of ultimately defeating the world's fascist forces and safeguarding world peace.
China and Timor-Leste share the common experience of being invaded and enslaved by the Japanese militarists. In China, the Japanese invaders committed a series of inhuman massacres such as the Nanjing Massacre and other heinous crimes. In Timor-Leste, Japan occupied the country in the spring of 1942. In order to fight Japanese aggression, many Timorese joined in the Anti-Japanese commandos set up by Australians, even more Timorese supported the guerrilla fighters by other means, such as providing food and shelter, carrying heavy equipment or being guides. But they were brutally repressed by the Japanese army. Within three years of Japanese occupation of Timor-Leste, the Japanese army had killed more than 60,000 local civilians, which means nearly 12% of Timorese inhabitants were killed. Timor-Leste has one of the highest rates of death during the World War II.
Past experience guide for the future. It has been 75 years since the war, and our generation were born after the war. We have never experienced the cruelty of war and have no experience of the price for peace paid by our predecessors. However, the concept of "never forget history, oppose war and cherish peace" will never go out of date. Both Chinese people and Timorese people are peace-loving nations. Our two countries bear history in mind, remember the fallen soldiers and civilians, which is not to perpetuate hatred, but to better oppose war and cherish peace.
The World War II has taught us that, peace is like air and sunshine, which is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it. But none of us can live without it. Today, peace and development have become the themes of our times, but the world we live in is still not completely secure and prosperous. Countries such as Libya, Yemen and Syria are still in armed conflict, and universal peace is far from being achieved. The spread of unilateralism and protectionism is disrupting global supply and industrial value chains, undermining world trade, and the global economy is struggling with uncertainties. The COVID-19 is posing an imminent threat to humanity. The fight of pandemic has fully demonstrated that mankind is a community with a shared future. We should oppose to unilateralism, work together with solidarity and cooperation to win the battle.
Taking history as a mirror and cherishing peace, China is ready to work with Timor-Leste, to jointly uphold the international order and system underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and advance the noble cause of global peace and development together, with an aim to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity for future generations.