British visitors kick off the China-UK friendship soccer event. [Photo/Zhoushan Daily]

A China-UK event was held on May 17 during the 2026 Zhejiang City Football League at Zhoushan Sports Stadium, commemorating the 84th anniversary of the Lisbon Maru rescue and honoring the friendships formed between British prisoners of war and Zhoushan fishermen during World War II.

The event brought together descendants of British POWs rescued in the 1942 Lisbon Maru incident and descendants of Zhoushan fishermen who took part in the rescue operation, as participants walked onto the soccer field side by side, continuing a story of friendship that has lasted across generations.

During halftime, the stadium screen displayed historical footage recounting how the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese transport ship carrying British POWs, was torpedoed near the Dongji Islands in October 1942. Despite great danger, Zhoushan fishermen sailed 46 small boats through gunfire and completed 65 rescue trips, saving 384 British POWs.

As the song Auld Lang Syne played, British representatives entered the field with local fishermen's descendants to play an eight-minute friendly, followed by the British visitors saying they were deeply impressed by Zhoushan's hospitality, modern cityscape, and its deep connection to the history of the Lisbon Maru.

The visiting delegation will also attend a friendship exchange exhibition, visit the Memorial for Dongji Fishermen's Rescue of British Prisoners of War, and take part in a China-UK friendship tree-planting activity during their stay.