By the time World War II ended in Asia on Sept 2, 1945, millions of lives had already been lost, with many more affected by the consequences of war.
80 years on, “the region has come a long way”, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday (Sept 3).
DPM Gan, who is also Trade and Industry Minister, shared his reflections on social media after attending China’s military parade and commemorative events in Beijing, to mark 80 years since Japan’s defeat at the end of World War Two.
The parade was also attended by invited leaders from over 20 countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Reflecting on the price that comes with war and violence, DPM Gan posted on Facebook that peace and prosperity cannot be taken for granted.
“It is important that we remember the past, and honour the sacrifices of the millions of lives lost…However, we must also look ahead and not be trapped by history,” DPM Gan wrote, adding that Singapore remains committed to regional peace and stability.
“Singapore remains committed to working with all our partners to maintain regional peace and stability for our collective prosperity and progress”, he said.
DPM Gan is on a five-day working visit to China which began on Aug 31.
On Sept 1, he met with Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong and also visited Singapore companies at the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City.
The same evening, DPM Gan travelled to Shenzhen where he also mingled with overseas Singaporeans.
On Sept 2, he met Shenzhen’s Party Secretary Meng Fanli, where the leaders discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in areas such as biotech development, digital economy, green economy, healthcare, and supply chains.
DPM Gan also visited Chinese tech companies to learn about new technologies created in Shenzhen.
The city is home to tech giants Huawei, Tencent and BYD.
On Sept 4, DPM Gan will meet with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, Vice Premier He Lifeng and Commerce Minister Wang Wengtao.
Beijing is the last stop for his five-day visit to China.
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editor@asiaone.com
