Interview: SACU chair emerita calls for improving Western understanding of China's WWII history

Zoe Reed, chair emerita of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in London, Britain, on July 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Lu)

by Xinhua writer Jin Jing

LONDON, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Highlighting the West's limited understanding of China's sacrifices during World War II (WWII) as a "real issue," Zoe Reed, chair emerita of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), said humanity must learn from history to chart the way forward.

Western education offers "limited" and often "narrow" content regarding China's role in the war, Reed told Xinhua in an interview ahead of the September commemoration events in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

"We in the West sort of think World War II was just a European thing with a bit of American involvement, and we don't really think through how the rest of the world has suffered," Reed said.

"Clearly, we have very limited education about what happens in China and what happened in China. So what we can do to bring that to people's attention is valuable," she added.

Reed, of mixed Chinese and British heritage, has a traditional Chinese name, Sun Ruyi, which literally means "May things go as one wishes." Her father, orphaned during the war against Japanese aggression, later traveled to Britain in the 1940s to study with the help of Joseph Needham, a renowned British scholar and the first chairman and president of SACU. With such a deep personal bond to China, Reed decided to carry on Needham's mission and became chair of the association in 2009.

In recognition of her significant contributions to boosting Britain-China friendship, Reed has been invited to attend the upcoming commemoration events in Beijing. She said she felt "completely honored and completely amazed" upon receiving the invitation.

"I feel very delighted that the hard work of SACU over these last many years is being recognized by this opportunity," she added.

Founded in 1965 in London, SACU marks its 60th anniversary this year. Over the decades, the society has worked to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the British and Chinese peoples, with a particular focus on broadening the horizons of young Britons and enhancing their understanding of China.

To raise awareness of China's wartime history and commemorate the friendship forged between the two countries during World War II, Reed has made promoting the story of George Hogg, a British journalist who dedicated his life to supporting China's resistance against Japanese aggression, a key part of SACU's work.

In 2015, SACU launched the George Hogg Education Fund to promote educational exchanges between regions and institutions in both countries, and to enhance public awareness of China, particularly regarding its wartime experience.

In April, Reed personally helped organize a trip for Hogg's relatives and historians to several places in China, including Gansu Province, retracing Hogg's footsteps. With the support of SACU, a George Hogg memorial exhibition opened on July 22 at a museum in Harpenden in Hertfordshire, Hogg's hometown in Britain, marking the 80th anniversary of his death.

Looking ahead, Reed said SACU will further expand strategic cooperation with various partners to bring its messages to a wider audience in Britain. The organization also plans to fund British students to travel and study in China, enabling more young Britons to gain a deeper understanding of the country.

"To build that shared understanding, if we can do that with the next generation, then (it will be) so much better," she said.

On Britain-China ties, she emphasized that understanding each other's history and respecting different development paths and viewpoints are key to maintaining sound bilateral relations.

She also expressed hope that Britain and China can further strengthen cooperation on common global challenges, such as climate change and global health.

"There will hopefully be a focus on things of global impact where we all have a shared humanity and need to work together," she said. "You need to learn from history to plan your way forward." ■