Forged in Blood and Fire: Defending Second World War History Together

Summary

Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong and Russian Ambassador to New Zealand Kolans published a joint signed article, 'Forged in Blood and Fire: Defending Second World War History Together', in the New Zealand Herald on 4 September. The article said the victory of the Allied nations laid the foundation for the founding of the United Nations in 1945 and set off a wave of liberation and decolonisation, but at a heavy cost, with nearly 80% of the world's population drawn into the conflict. As the main theatres in Asia and Europe, China and the Soviet Union suffered deeply from Axis war crimes, with their combined casualties accounting for more than half of total global deaths and civilian losses especially severe.

Citing the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, the article said Axis war crimes were unprecedented in scale and that the verdicts found them to be part of a colonial plan. It criticised Japan for failing to reflect deeply on its history, noting that some Japanese politicians continue to visit Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Class-A war criminals, and said China and Russia share a mission to defend historical truth and oppose attempts to rewrite the internationally recognised outcomes of the Second World War. The article also noted that a UN General Assembly resolution jointly submitted each year by China, Russia and 43 other countries wins majority support, with 119 countries voting in favour last year, but New Zealand did not stand with the majority.

China and Russia said they are ready to join peace-loving people in all countries to uphold the post-war international order.

Commentary

The joint article by the Chinese and Russian ambassadors uses Second World War history to criticise Japan and singles out New Zealand for not backing a UN resolution – at face value a contest over historical narrative, but in substance a reflection of the diplomatic tension New Zealand faces between its Western alliances and its trade dependence on China. For small and medium-sized business owners, the issue carries no direct tariff implications, but it may shape the political mood around the New Zealand-China trade relationship. About 30 percent of New Zealand's goods exports go to China, with dairy, meat and timber among the primary products heavily reliant on that market, and Fonterra's Greater China revenue accounting for roughly one quarter of its global business.

If New Zealand is seen as 'not with the majority' because of its diplomatic stance, that could raise the risk of non-tariff friction in bilateral trade dialogue – inspection and quarantine requirements, customs delays or shifts in consumer sentiment. Another angle: New Zealand's bilateral trade with Russia is limited, and sanctions after the Russia-Ukraine conflict have already pushed some firms out. But the joint article binds China and Russia together, which may leave some New Zealand exporters uneasy about being drawn into great-power rivalry and about the effect on their brand acceptance in Asian markets.

SMEs should watch for subsequent high-level China-New Zealand engagement and any specific regulatory moves on New Zealand products, and avoid misjudging the market because of political noise. That 119 countries voted in favour last year while New Zealand did not is a gap worth building into export strategy as an indicator of geopolitical risk.

Keywords: Wang Xiaolong, Kolans, joint signed article, New Zealand Herald, Second World War history, Nuremberg trials, Tokyo trials, Yasukuni Shrine, UN General Assembly resolution, shared mission of China and Russia

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

9月4日，中国驻新西兰大使王小龙与俄罗斯驻新西兰大使科兰斯在《新西兰先驱报》发表联合署名文章《血与火中锻造：共同捍卫二战历史》。文章称，二战反法西斯同盟国胜利为1945年联合国成立奠定基石，并掀起解放与非殖民化浪潮，但代价沉重，全球近80%人口被卷入战火。作为亚洲和欧洲主要战场，中国和苏联深受轴心国战争罪行之害，两国伤亡人数合计占全球死亡总数一半以上，平民伤亡尤为惨重。

文章援引纽伦堡审判和东京审判指出，轴心国战争罪行规模空前，判决认定其是殖民计划的一部分。文章批评日本未深刻反省历史，部分日本政客持续参拜供奉有甲级战犯的靖国神社，并称中俄共同使命是捍卫历史真相、反对篡改国际公认二战成果。文章还提到，每年由中、俄及其他43国共同提交的联合国大会相关决议均获大多数成员国支持，去年有119个国家投赞成票，但新西兰未与多数国家站在一起。

中俄表示愿与各国爱好和平的人民一道，维护战后国际秩序。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

中俄大使联合署名文章借二战历史批评日本并点名新西兰未支持联合国决议，表面是历史叙事之争，实则折射新西兰在西方联盟与对华经贸依赖之间的外交张力。对新西兰中小企业主而言，此事虽不直接涉及关税，但可能影响中新经贸关系的政治氛围。新西兰约30%的商品出口流向中国，乳制品、肉类、木材等初级产品高度依赖中国市场，恒天然大中华区收入占其全球业务约四分之一。

若新西兰因外交立场被视为“不站多数”，可能增加双边经贸对话中的非关税摩擦风险，如检验检疫、清关延迟或消费者情绪变化。另一视角是，新西兰与俄罗斯双边贸易规模有限，俄乌冲突后对俄制裁已使部分企业退出，但联合署名文章将中俄绑定，可能让一些新西兰出口商担忧被卷入大国对立，进而影响他们在亚洲市场的品牌接受度。中小企业应关注后续中新高层互动及中国对新西兰产品的具体监管动向，避免因政治噪音而误判市场。

去年119国投赞成票而新西兰未投，这一差异值得企业作为地缘风险指标纳入出口策略评估。

关键词: 王小龙, 科兰斯, 联合署名文章, 新西兰先驱报, 二战历史, 纽伦堡审判, 东京审判, 靖国神社, 联合国大会决议, 中俄共同使命

Source: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand – China–New Zealand Relations