In Sarajevo yesterday, the Forum “Coffee and Tea” was held on the topic “Historical remembrance of the joint fight of China and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) against fascism,” on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people in resisting Japanese aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War. The Forum was jointly organized by the Embassy of China in BiH, the Alliance of Anti-Fascists and Fighters of the People’s Liberation War (SABNOR), and the Association of Friendship of BiH and China.
As the organizers stated, the ambassador of China in BiH, Li Fan, emphasized that China and BiH, during the Second World War, shoulder to shoulder with the progressive forces of the world, won the victory of justice over evil, bearing enormous sacrifices. “Today, humanity is again facing a choice between peace and war, dialogue and confrontation. The Chinese people unwaveringly walk the path of peaceful development, and China remains committed to multilateralism, international cooperation, and the preservation of peace,” said the ambassador yesterday.
The president of SABNOR, Sead Djulic, warned that in the world, including Europe, we are witnessing a political shift to the right, which represents the danger of the revival of fascist policies. “We must speak about the positive legacy of the anti-fascist struggle and base that on facts and historical documents. Only truth can be cathartic and cautionary, and serve the progress of humanity,” emphasized Djulic.
The vice president of SABNOR, Jasmina Pasalic, emphasized the importance of the culture of remembrance: “By nurturing historical dates, figures, and events from the National Liberation War, we give recognition to those who left us the task that antifascism should be the fundamental starting point of the democratic development of our society.”
The director of the Archives of BiH, Danijela Mrda, pointed out that archives are the true guardians of history and collective memory. “Today, returning to documents is more important than ever, because of increasingly aggressive attempts at revision of history. Such events allow us to remember one of the most important struggles of humanity and the contributions of the peoples who achieved victory over fascism,” said Mrda. She emphasized that the victory of China in the war against Japanese aggression was the first complete triumph in modern Chinese history, and reminded us of the rich archival material that testifies to the friendly relations between China and the former Yugoslavia, including the first diplomatic contacts in 1955. “By knowing our past, we will better understand the present and build the future more wisely,” she concluded.
The president of SABNOR of Tuzla Canton (TC) and member of the Managing Board of SABNOR BiH, Zlatko Dukic, emphasized the importance of passing on antifascist values to younger generations. “Our mission is not only remembering the glorious past, but also explaining to young people what fascism is today and what it looks like, as it appears in new forms, but is equally dangerous. Tuzla and TC proudly nurture antifascism, which was confirmed by hosting the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory over fascism in May this year,” said Dukic. He added that only through joint action can antifascists respond to the threats of neofascism, because “the new fascism is also limitless and unpredictable.”
Historian and former ambassador of BiH Slobodan Soja emphasized the fact that the Chinese contribution in the Second World War is often ignored, mostly because of ideological differences, but also because of ignorance, unwillingness, disinterest, and indifference. “And China, in its defensive war from 1937 to 1945 against Japan, with huge sacrifices, completely tied down Japanese military forces,” emphasized Soja.
The Forum was also held in the context of marking 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and BiH. Ambassador Li Fan reminded that the cooperation of the two countries in recent years has been intensified in the political, economic, and cultural spheres. China is today the largest trade partner of BiH in Asia, and in the period January-July 2025, trade exchange reached 346 million dollars, which represents an increase of 46.5% compared to the previous year. The number of Chinese tourists in BiH increased by 54.7%, and it is expected that by the end of the year, it will surpass 100 thousand visits.
The ambassador expressed her conviction that the possibilities for cooperation between China and BiH are very broad and that the future of bilateral relations is “extremely bright.”, Fena news agency writes.
