Exhibition on China's resumption of its sovereignty over Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao opened in east China on Monday. Photo: CMG Voice of the South China Sea

NANJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on China's resumption of its sovereignty over Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao opened in east China on Monday, marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The exhibition in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, recounts the history of the two regions, including the fact that China's Qing Dynasty government ceded Taiwan to Japan under the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. It also highlights that China's resumption of its sovereignty over Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao -- known as the South China Sea islands in English -- after World War II, is an integral part of the post-war international order.

Zhu Feng, executive director of Nanjing University's Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, said that China has managed Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao since ancient times, and the resumption of its sovereignty over the regions was in accordance with international legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation.

Zhu called on all parties to respect and remember history, as certain countries deny China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and are attempting to occupy the region, and the United States is exploiting the South China Sea issue to contain China.

"The exhibition aims to encourage more countries to draw experience from history, handle the complex South China Sea issue properly, and work together to promote peace, cooperation and development in Asia," he said.

Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, said that countries bordering the South China Sea should work together to uphold the post-war international order, reject external interference, and advance consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which was signed by China and ASEAN member states in 2002, outlines the most important principles in the management of disputes related to the South China Sea. Consultations on the COC involving China and ASEAN member states were launched in 2013. Both the DOC and the COC are aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the region.

Organized by Nanjing University, the exhibition showcases maps, books, images and other historical materials. Nearly 100 experts and scholars attended its opening.

Exhibition on China's resumption of its sovereignty over Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao opened in east China on Monday. Photo: CMG Voice of the South China Sea