China cautions against reviving militarism amid Nanjing Massacre Memorial

(MENAFN) A senior official of the Communist Party of China issued a strong caution against what he described as attempts to bring back militaristic thinking, as the country observed its 12th National Memorial Day honoring those killed in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

Speaking at a commemorative event in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province in eastern China, the official warned that efforts aimed at rewriting postwar realities would not succeed.

"Any attempt to revive militarism, challenge the post-war international order or undermine global peace and stability was doomed to failure," he said, according to reports.

Despite low temperatures, large crowds dressed in dark clothing gathered at the square outside the Memorial Hall, according to official accounts. The ceremony drew thousands of participants, including survivors of the massacre.

During his address, the official highlighted the importance of preserving historical resolve and national purpose. He called for continuing "the great spirit of the War of Resistance, advance with determination, strive to promote China's modernization and national rejuvenation, and make greater contributions to the cause of peace and progress for humanity."

At precisely 10:01 a.m. local time (0201 GMT), air-raid sirens echoed across the city. Traffic in central areas came to a halt as drivers sounded their horns in unison, while pedestrians stood still to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims. The national flag was lowered to half-staff during the ceremony.

The memorial commemorates events from 1937, when Japanese forces captured Nanjing, which was then the capital of the Republic of China. Chinese accounts state that more than 300,000 people were killed during the occupation.

While Japan has continued to challenge claims regarding the scale of the massacre, the incident itself has been widely recognized internationally, though estimates of the death toll vary.

In 2015, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization included Chinese archival materials documenting Japanese “atrocities” in Nanjing in its Memory of the World register, a decision that prompted objections from Tokyo, according to reports.

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