The 70th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japanese
Aggression will be marked by a symposium at the theme museum in
Beijing today.
More than 70 scholars from across the Taiwan Straits will
participate in in-depth discussions on the historic role of the War
of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the national spirit
during wartime.
On July 7, 1937, invading Japanese forces attacked Marco Polo
Bridge to enter Wanping County in southwest Beijing. The Chinese
defended the bridge with their lives. The day marked the beginning
of Japan's all-out aggression against China and the eight-year War
of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
A series of commemorative activities, including workshops and
exhibitions, have been planned this year to mark the 70th
anniversary of the incident.
The infamous Nanjing Massacre, during which about 300,000
Chinese were brutally killed and thousands of women were raped and
tortured by the Japanese army also took place 70 years ago.
A two-day seminar, organized by the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, ended in Beijing yesterday. Thirty-five articles dealing
with almost every social aspect of the War of Resistance against
Japanese Aggression were submitted at the seminar.
Director of the academy's Institute of Modern History Bu Ping
said the papers offer new clues for the further studies on the
period and will help in taking forward the research in
Sino-Japanese history.
China hopes Sino-Japanese ties to move in the right direction by
"taking history as a mirror and looking to the future".
"The reason why we choose not to forget the past is to cherish
the hard-won peace and happy life and work for a better future,"
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing
on Tuesday.
He urged Japan to handle the history issues properly and
maintain the momentum of Sino-Japanese ties' development.
Tojo's granddaughter
In a disturbing development, the granddaughter of Japanese
wartime prime minister Hideki Tojo said on Tuesday that if she won
the parliamentary election later this month, she would push to
strengthen the country's military and rewrite the history of the
Nanjing Massacre.
Contesting as an independent, Yuko Tojo is seeking a seat in the
upper house of Parliament. Her candidacy has drawn attention
because of her family connection.
(China Daily July 6, 2007)