The bravery and tremendous sacrifice of the Chinese people played a decisive role in defeating Fascist Japan, and they offered strategic support to the Allies on the European and Pacific battlefields.

　　“History has told us to stay on high alert against war, which, like a demon and nightmare, would bring disaster and pain to the people,“ Xi once said. “History has also told us to preserve peace with great care, as peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people benefit from it, but none of us can live without it.“

　　This historical observation is prominently featured in Xi's unrelenting pursuit of peace. He has repeatedly reiterated China's commitment to peaceful development, pledging that China will never seek hegemony, expansion or any sphere of influence, no matter how strong it may grow.

　　During a 2014 visit to France, Xi reshaped Napoleon's metaphor of China as a “sleeping lion“ that would shake the world upon awakening. “Now, China, the lion, has awakened. But it is a peaceful, amicable and civilized lion,“ Xi said, illustrating the peaceful dimension of the Chinese Dream.

　　Xi's philosophy stems from the millennia-old Chinese culture. An avid reader of traditional Chinese classics, he once expounded how ancient Chinese wisdom views war and peace by quoting The Art of War, a Chinese classic written more than 2,000 years ago.

　　The book's key message “is that every effort should be made to prevent a war and great caution must be exercised when it comes to fighting a war,“ Xi said when delivering a keynote speech in the UN Office at Geneva in 2017.

　　Xi's view on prudence in warfare is also reflected in his exchanges with foreign leaders and officials.