China Tones Down Japan Criticism on Nanjing Anniversary

December 13, 2018

Shanghai--China restrained its criticism of Japan on the 81st anniversary of the Nanjing massacre of Chinese civilians and others by Japanese soldiers on Thursday, following improved bilateral ties.

Unlike last year, President Xi Jinping skipped an annual commemorative ceremony held at a museum on the 1937 incident in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province.

China in 2014 designated Dec. 13 as a day of national mourning for the incident. It has held memorial services to boost patriotism among the Chinese people and highlight Japan's role as a perpetrator.

Speaking at this year's ceremony, Wang Chen, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, claimed that 300,000 Chinese people suffered great misery in the incident.

Meanwhile, Wang noted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of a peace and friendship treaty between Japan and China.

The development of a stable bilateral relationship serves the interests of both countries and will have a significant impact on the region and the world, he added.

From Thursday, the city of Nanjing requires citizens to observe a moment of silence at the time of the ceremony, under an ordinance.

In China, some people have come under fire for pictures showing them dressed in the uniforms of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army at battle sites and other locations.

Such actions will be subject to crackdowns as acts that impair the dignity of the nation and the people. Jiji Press