Cherishing peace via grand music

Music is a common language of humanity; peace is the common aspiration of the people, said China's consul general in New York at a symphony concert titled Always Remember, Never Again.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the large-scale symphony concert was held jointly by the US Asian Culture Media Group and Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group on Sept 11 at Colden Auditorium in Flushing, Queens, New York.

Zhang Qiyue, China's consul general in New York, addressed the concertgoers. "Even 70 years have gone by since World War II has ended, it's hard to forget the pain of the war. We should not allow the history fade, and we should not weaken our pursuit of peace," Zhang said.

"For a more beautiful future, we bear that hard time in mind by music today, cherishing the memory of revolutionary martyrs, cherishing the hard-won peace."

Zhang said that China and the United States fought side by side against fascism 70 years ago and forged a profound friendship. Today, the two powers are working to build new relations and share broad common interests.

Zhang said the New York state Assembly and Senate recently passed a resolution to welcome President Xi Jinping's on his upcoming state visit to the US while stressing the importance of Sino-US friendship.

"Because today's Sino-US friendship has been deeply rooted, and in the interests of two countries' people," said Zhang.

Wang Jianjun, president of Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group, addressed the concert via video link.

"Always Remember, Never Again aims at not disguising the history (but) respecting the history, remembering the history and learning historical lessons to prevent us from making similar mistakes and avoid the twists and turns," Wang said.

"Commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II is not to remember hatred, but to make such a tragic history of war not to repeat again in anywhere in the world," Wang added.

Eighty-year-old Chinese-American musician Yao Xueyan directed and conducted the concert, which featured more than 300 musicians from diverse backgrounds.

The program included Song of the Guerrillas, Bella Ciao, Yellow River Cantata and other pieces. Among them, Yellow River Cantata was written during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, when the writer Xian Xinghai marched with the anti-Japanese forces to the northwest shore of the Yellow River.

When the melody of the most well known movements of the cantata Defend the Yellow River resounded, hundreds of audience members joined in spontaneously.

"The spirit-lifting melody is what we Chinese are all familiar with," said Liu Yumei, who traveled from Washington for the concert with family members. "Even (though) we are scattered outside the motherland, I feel that we were connected tightly with our motherland at the moment I sang the song together with all the attendees."

Flying Tigers veteran Chen Jintang and World War II US Marine veteran Kuang Rongyao attended the concert and won warm applause from the audiences.

"That's probably one of the most moving scenes of tonight," said Ma Huaqiang, an audience member. "When they waved to us, I was totally touched by their trembling but unswerving expression. We just cannot stop applauding."

China's telecommunications equipment and systems company ZTE gave smartphones as a tribute during the intermission.

"ZTE has a long tradition in caring and helping veterans in China," said Sam Shen, senior vice-president and head of ZTE USA Inc. "Today we carry out this activity abroad to pay our tribute to veterans in the US; it's a social responsibility" for a Chinese corporation.

The China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, US Chinese Chamber of Commerce and more than 30 Chinese communities in the eastern US sponsored and supported the concert.

Hong Xiao in New York contributed to this story.