CRI听力:Australian Minister Recalls China's Vital Role in WWII

When addressing the Australia-China Business Week in Sydney this week, Mr. Turnbull said at the very beginning of his speech that it is important not to forget that in Australia's battle for survival against Japan their longest ally was China.

On February 19th, 1942, 242 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin, Northern Australia.

They attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and struck the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases.

The town was only lightly defended and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves.

The urban areas of Darwin also suffered severe damage from the raids and 243 civilians were killed.

The attacks were among almost 100 air raids against Australia in 1942 and '43.

The Minister said "in our darkest hour, when our foes were literally on our doorstep, when our cities were under direct military attack, then, at that tipping point in our history, China was our staunch, indefatigable ally."

China had been invaded by Japan in 1937 and fought alone until Japan's attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Mr. Turnbull said that without China's endurance and courage in the face of Japan, Australia's war history may have ended very differently indeed.

He said Australian people cannot imagine modern Australia without China's contribution to their people, culture, and prosperity.

For CRI, I'm Wang Xiao from Sydney.