People lay flowers at the Shrine of Remembrance commemorating Victory Day in Melbourne, Australia on May 10, 2025. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Eight decades have passed, yet the world once again finds itself at a crossroads. The rise of unilateralism, ongoing geopolitical turbulence and the distortion of historical truths remind us of the enduring relevance of remembering the past and safeguarding peace. Against this backdrop, the Global Times launches the column "Revisiting WWII, Defending Peace," inviting renowned scholars and peace advocates from around the world to revisit the history of World War II (WWII) through contemporary lenses. Through diverse perspectives, the series seeks to uphold historical memory, promote shared development, and defend fairness and justice. Only by confronting history with honesty and clarity can humanity find the wisdom to shape a more peaceful and sustainable future.

In the sixth article of the series, Global Times (GT) reporter Wang Wenwen interviewed Sandra Pires (Pires), an Australian filmmaker who, 10 years ago, made a documentary titled The Dalfram Dispute 1938: Pig Iron Bob, featuring Australian protests against the export of pig iron from Australia to Japan during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.


GT: In November 1938, wharf laborers in Australia refused to load pig iron onto a cargo ship, the SS Dalfram, which was headed for Japan. This ultimately resulted in Australia stopping the export of pig iron to Japan, which was being used in its aggression against China and other countries in the region. What messages did you try to deliver by making the event into a documentary?

Pires: This event marked the mutual assistance of Chinese and Australian people during WWII, supporting the Chinese in their resistance against Japan, and confirming Australia's stance during the Anti-Fascist War. I felt the story was worthy of a wider audience. I also thought that the important details of the story deserved to be told, including how proud the people were to be part of this important event. Many people were extremely proud to be on the right side of history. One man even wanted his ashes spread at the wharf where they stopped the ship. 

I felt that making this documentary could inspire people in the future, if anything like this ever happens again. What the Japanese were doing was wrong. Everybody knew it was wrong. At the time, most people didn't have the political guts to stand up to Japan. However, there were many people who realized they couldn't just sit back and let this happen. They understood that it was possible to come together as a community and take a stand for what's right.

Today, the film, 10 years after it was made, is still just as relevant as it was back then.

The reason I decided to make the film was to produce something for peace, and my main goal was to tell this story so that nothing like this would ever happen again. However, it's very sad to see across the world the same images happening again. It is very scary when people have an ideology that leads them to believe that those they are colonizing or invading are less important than themselves. 

I believe in the power of forgiveness. The three Nanjing Massacre survivors I interviewed said that we must have peace. I think we need to take a lesson from that. We need to really understand how to make peace between countries. 


GT: What united the Australian and Chinese people against aggressors and against fascism? How can the Dalfram dispute guide China-Australia relations today?

Pires: The maritime union workers who were involved were across the seas, and they knew and understood what was happening, probably more so than the general population of Australia. I think they felt that everything should be done to stop the steamship heading to Japan. They really believed that Japan was on the way to Australia and that we would be next. If we didn't care for one another, we wouldn't be able to make a change. They were very much against fascism. Most of those men who walked off the ship were just regular Australian workers. They made huge sacrifices that day; they were not well off. They didn't even own their homes, however, they believed that what they were doing was the right thing to do.

I think this is something we should celebrate and commemorate, which is why we are showing the film again, on July 26 in Wollongong, where the dispute occurred. 
It would be nice to see China-Australia relations move in a more positive direction. I would really love to tell the story about the relationship between China and Australia. Sharing the story of the China-Australia relationship would help people on both sides gain a better understanding of the history, and potentially improve relations going forward. 


GT: Your documentary was made thanks to the efforts of both the Chinese and Australian sides. Do you think this form of cooperation can improve the way WWII stories are told? As a documentary producer, how do historical lenses help the world better remember history, cherish cooperation and uphold justice?

Pires: We need more films that genuinely explore the peace angle and the ways in which conflicts have been resolved in countries at war. I have made a series called You and Me, which looks at best friends from different cultures. We have a Palestinian and an Israeli there. We have indigenous people and non-indigenous people. These stories really do make a difference, as they help us remember our humanity. They also remind us that we are all human beings and that we should treat each other with respect and kindness.


GT: Nowadays, certain Western countries hype China as a threat, trying to sow discord between countries. What wisdom can we draw from the anti-fascist multilateral cooperation of 80 years ago in order to break away from camp confrontation today?

Pires: Indeed, I think the world has gotten worse. We can clearly see the polarization of nations again, dividing them into who's good and who's bad, where one group of people treats another group of people with such disgust and disdain. There seems to be an ideology that emerges during war, where the opposing group is seen as unworthy and less important. We need to educate people and emphasize that we are all human beings, and no nation or group of people is better than any other. Greater education is essential. Telling people that they are superior to another group is a form of brainwashing. The only way to dispel these myths, make people see sense and eliminate this brainwashing is through education.