It is only at first glance, that the distance between Ukraine and China looks quite significant. But in fact, we are close neighbors who have a lot in common, which could serve as the basis for our cooperation. That is the conclusion reached by the participants of the round table “September. The Beginning of the Second World War: Lessons and Warnings” organized by Ukrinform and the magazine “Intercourier”. The theme of the “table” was consonant with current and long-standing historical events.
The participants (claimed): moderator Yuriy Senyuk; Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko (2004-2009); Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Ukraine Zhang Xiyun; Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Ukraine to China Vasyl Gamyanin; Vice-President of the Independent Analytical Center for Geopolitical Studies “Borysfen Intel”, Candidate of Military Sciences, Associate Professor, Lieutenant-General Yuriy Radkovets; Chairman of the Public organization “Ukrainian Military Organization “Spas-23” Volodymyr Volkov; Governor of Odesa region, Mikhail Saakashvili (via Skype); economist, lawyer, assistant to the governor of the Odesa region, Oleksandr Borovyk (via Skype); Chairman of the Editorial Board of “Interncourier” Vyacheslav Miroshnychenko.
In his opening speech, the moderator — President of the “Kyiv-Beijing Business Cooperation Association” Yuriy Senyuk reminded: September 2, 1945, aboard the USS “Missouri” was signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which meant the end of World War II, victory in which annually celebrate the states of the anti-Hitler coalition, united by civilizational values of freedom, independence and democracy, as well as by the common struggle for peace. As far as Ukraine and China are concerned, they suffered perhaps the greatest human losses in the war, and the historical memory of the two friendly peoples will save this forever. Today, this issue came to the fore at the time when the international community has condemn Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimea and the armed aggression of the Russian and separatist forces in the East of Ukraine, which is a threat to our statehood, and which it can be considered in tune with events that took place in the lands of Ukraine during World War II.
In his opening remarks, Yuriy Senyuk pointed out, that war was unleashed by some ambitious nations wishing to expand their “Lebensraum” and to establish control over the world's resources, using for this the rule of force. As a result, 50 million people, representing all the peoples who had been drawn into the vortex of military battles, were killed. And almost one in five of those who died was Ukrainian. World War II began in Europe and ended in Asia. And as it turned out, perhaps the greatest burden and most dramatic consequences lay down on the shoulders of, respectively, Ukrainian and Chinese peoples.
The invited to the round table Academician Petro Kononenko, in his time the Director of the Scientific Research Institute of Ukrainian Studies, in his speech reminded the audience how not so long ago the current Russian President claimed that the Russians could have won the war, even without Ukraine's participation. It is difficult to imagine a more blatant disrespect to those Ukrainians who fought against fascism and gave their lives for the victory. After all, the losses among military servicemen-Ukrainians alone were more than 4.5 million people. And if we add to this the suffering and deaths of the civilian population, the collapse of the economy, the decay of Ukrainian towns and villages, the statement of the Russian President can only be described as cynical.
- After all, the war in the Ukrainian lands began not in 1941, but in 1939, — reminded P. Kononenko, referring to the events of those times in Ukrainian Trans-Carpathia and Halychyna (Galicia) — and the Ukrainians had to fight on many fronts, including against each other.
Petro Kononenko also reminded of those Ukrainians who had lived in the Russian Far East. After the events of October 1917 in Russia, they tried to form a Ukrainian republic there. Although this attempt failed — the fact itself is eloquent enough.
P. Kononenko is sure that World War III has already begun. But this war has a deep civilizational character. Because this, actually uncompromising war, is between the cynical and aggressive forces and the democratic ones for the civilizational values of the mankind. And the Russian military aggression against Ukraine — is the beginning of the war between Putin's Russia and democratic Europe, between Putin's Russia and the entire democratic world, between Putin's Russia and civilizational values. And if Putin's regime does not take into account the lessons and warnings of World War II — Russia will suffer collapse and disintegration.
According to P. Kononenko, at the moment it is very important for Ukraine to have China's support at the international level, especially during the vote in the UN Security Council, where the representatives of the Chinese enjoy a high reputation and their position on major international issues is taken into account almost by all the politicians who perform their responsibilities in this esteemed Organization.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine Zhang Xiyun in his speech reminded those present that the war for the Chinese people lasted for more than 14 years. It began in 1931 with Japan's aggression when it captured Manchuria. “We did not allow Japan to join the Hitler's Germany, actually having bound the Japanese divisions by fighting on our fronts — said Zhang Xiyun — and that's why the theater of combat operations in China can be considered part of the Second World War. But apart from this, we must remember that in that war we lost 35 million of our citizens.”
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic to Ukraine Zhang Xiyun also reminded about the role and losses of the Ukrainians, which they put on the altar of victory in World War II, including the victory over militaristic Japan.
According to him, in the present circumstances, Ukraine is an important partner for China within the framework of cooperation on a range of actually strategic economic-industrial and innovative directions, and in this regard it has excellent prospects.
Vice-President of the Independent Analytical Center for Geopolitical Studies “Borysfen Intel”, Candidate of Military Sciences, Associate Professor, Lieutenant-General Yuriy Radkovets in his speech drew a parallel between Ukraine's war past and its present. Thus, he reminded the audience, how the Nazi Germany launched the war — with a provocation on the Polish-German border when Nazi provocateurs, disguised as Polish soldiers, attacked the station on the German side, and that actually served as the formal reason for the outbreak of World War II:
- Does not it remind us of the recent events in Ukraine (in the Crimea and in the East of Ukraine), where “green men” seized the Crimean facilities and administrative buildings in Donetsk and Luhansk regions? And who resemble the dressed in Soviet military uniforms, German saboteurs, destroying strategic targets on Soviet territory?
That is, the forms and methods of modern Russian military aggression against Ukraine are completely superimposed on those old events, and serve as a basis for firm conclusions as to whom today we have to deal when we have to defend the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Without exaggeration, with great interest the participants listened to Yuriy Radkovets' story about the Hero of Ukraine General Kuzma Derevyanko, who, back in 1945, on the USS “Missouri”, on behalf of the Soviet Union, signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.
As a soldier, K. Derevyanko had a long operational record, performing a variety of tasks of an executive officer, a professional intelligence officer, a high rank staff commander, a military diplomat. Interestingly, after the graduation from the Eastern (Special) Faculty of the Frunze Military Academy of the Red Army, in 1936-1938 Captain Derevyanko was on a special business trip in China, where he organized and coordinated the delivery of arms and ammunition for the Chinese army, for which he was awarded the Order of Lenin.
And after the war he had served in the Far East, he visited China, and Japan after its atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then fell ill with an incurable disease.
It should be added that during the round table the participants discussed not only the heroic historical past of Ukraine and China, but also the future of the two countries' cooperation. The main directions here are as follows: design and creation of joint institutions and mechanisms of direct inter-national cooperation and constant communication for the benefit of both countries; creation of a joint group (center) of strategic analysis and design of institutional and infrastructural architectonics for Ukraine's mastering its possible and appropriate role of transcontinental both innovation- investment and cultural-creative hub within the framework of the new project of the Big Silk Road.
Finally, the participants of the round table greeted the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine Zhang Xiyun on the 70th anniversary of the Victory in World War II. China will celebrate this holiday with military parade on September 3.
At the end of the round table resolution was adopted taking into account all participants' suggestions and additions.
Information about the round table on the site "Ukrinform" http://www.ukrinform.ua/rus/news/1780742
Video of the round table
