Lessons of war must benefit people: New Zealand statesman

WELLINGTON - Remembering the events of the last world war is necessary to forging global peace, New Zealand's official representative at China's parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II?said Wednesday.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sir Don McKinnon, who will attend the parade on Thursday, told Xinhua that the lessons of the war remained relevant today.

McKinnon, who is also chairman of the New Zealand China Council, recalled a speech he gave at the fourth China Think Tank hosted by China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing in June.

"The themes of this conference were climate change, poverty alleviation, international relations and global governance. My key message was 'At the end of the day it's about people'," McKinnon said an e-mail interview with Xinhua.

"World War II brought destruction on countries, nations and most of all on the lives of people, but as we're seeing with the conflicts of today, it's an on-going problem, a global problem," he said.

"So it's important at this time to remember what happened during World War II and collectively find a way forward to keep the peace and positively impact the lives of people globally, this message means as much today as it did then."