Chinese President Xi Jinping talks to former president Jiang Zemin (R) next to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (2nd L) and South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye on the Tian’anmen Gate at the beginning of the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing. [Photo/Agencies]

The participation of a number of foreign heads of state or their representatives in the large-scale commemorations China held on Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the war against Japanese aggression and the fight against fascism reflects China's growing influence on the world stage and the international community's expectations for China to play a bigger role in resolving world issues.

The commemorative events not only prompted reflection about the past, they also offered a chance to think about the future and how to build a peaceful and better world. Despite its relatively low per capita economic output, China's huge economic aggregate as the world's second-largest economy has enabled it to play an increasingly important role on the world stage.

The world has generally enjoyed peace and stability over the past decades since World War II, but the established postwar world order is being eroded or weakened by some uncertain factors, such as the emergence of the Islamic State group in the Middle East and the turmoil in Syria to the confrontation between the United States and Russia over the Ukraine crisis and increased US interventions in the South China Sea issues. The global financial and economic uncertainties will also have negative effects in the international political and security realms.

As a participant of the making of the postwar international order, China will resolutely safeguard the order's stability and continuation, and prevent any forces from challenging, distorting or sabotaging it. China's growing political and economic influence, its increased participation in world affairs and greater efforts to promote world and regional development have sparked hopes that China will help promote the establishment of a better world system.

The above is an abridgement of an article carried in www.ynet.com on Friday.