Editor's note: Pan Deng is a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

As the sirens wailed over Nanjing on December 13, piercing the cold winter air, the resonance felt heavier than in years past. This year marks the 12th national memorial ceremony for the Nanjing Massacre victims. This solemn occasion brought the nation to a standstill to mourn the 300,000 souls lost to a nightmare of violence. The gravity of this moment is amplified by history: 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Standing at this intersection of memory and geopolitical uncertainty, it is imperative to recognize that the atrocities perpetrated by Japanese aggressors during the Nanjing Massacre shocked the world and all people of conscience, leaving a scar on humanity that time cannot erase.

The anchor of memory

The establishment of the National Memorial Day in 2014 by China's top legislature was more than a procedural act; it was a moral fortification. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress designated December 13 as a statutory day of mourning not only to honor those slaughtered in Nanjing but to grieve for all victims of Japanese aggression.

This legislative move laid bare the deep calamities inflicted upon the Chinese people and served as a vehicle to reveal the war crimes committed by the invaders. It conveyed an immutable message to the global community: The Chinese people stand firm in resisting aggression and safeguarding human dignity.

The historical verdict is irrefutable. On that dark day in 1937, Japanese forces unleashed a 40-day campaign of murder, looting and arson. The Nanjing Massacre was one of the most inhuman fascist atrocities in the history of human civilization, a flagrant violation of international laws evidenced by mountains of historical records and legal verdicts from the postwar tribunals.

Today, the living memory of that horror is fading. As of December 12, 2025, only 24 registered survivors of the Nanjing Massacre remain. They are the living witnesses to hell. Recognizing the fragility of this human link to the past, the Chinese government has meticulously preserved its testimonies. In 2015, these records were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, transforming national grief into a permanent lesson for the world. By holding a public memorial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, China seeks to awaken every decent person's yearning for and commitment to peace.

However, a disturbing dissonance remains. Despite the preservation of truth, the victims have yet to receive a formal, sincere apology from the Japanese government. Instead, observers witness a persistent undercurrent of denial among Japanese political elites. Some ignore the historical conclusions entirely, while others actively distort the narrative. But the moral law of history is clear: To forget history is to betray it; to deny guilt is to invite its recurrence.

The resurrection of dangerous rhetoric

The danger of amnesia is not merely academic; it has present-day strategic consequences. More than 80 years ago, Japanese militarism launched aggressive wars against China and other Asian nations under the pretext of a so-called survival crisis, claiming the empire's existence was at stake to justify expansionism. These wars resulted in unspeakable crimes against humanity.

It is therefore a matter of profound concern that similar language is resurfacing in Tokyo. Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi utilized the term "existential crisis" when questioned about the situation in the Taiwan Straits. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, a territory that suffered under the yoke of brutal Japanese colonial rule for half a century. For a Japanese leader to link an internal Chinese matter to Japan's own national survival is an alarming echo of the 1930s.

This rhetoric serves a dual purpose: It challenges China's sovereignty and provides Japan with a pretext to loosen its military constraints. Any attitude that disregards the history of aggressive warfare, any rhetoric that whitewashes the nature of such wars, constitutes a threat to human peace and justice.

By framing its aggressive posturing as self-defense, the current administration in Tokyo is effectively signaling the resurrection of a militaristic mindset. In doing so, Japan is acting as a saboteur of the post-World War II (WW II) international order, prioritizing geopolitical maneuvering over the hard-won lessons of the past.

Defending the post-war order

The international community must not remain passive as the foundational pillars of global peace are chipped away. Japan's recent maneuvers, from provoking China with military threats to eroding its "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and attempting to revise its pacifist constitution, are direct challenges to the order established in 1945.

The United Nations was founded on the ashes of WW II with the primary mission of preventing the scourge of war from returning. The UN Charter itself contains the "Enemy State Clauses," a historical tether reminding the world that the current international order was built upon the victory over fascism and militarism.

While the world seeks reconciliation, these clauses serve as a reminder that legitimacy stems from rejecting aggression. Those who cherish peace and justice must remain highly vigilant against such erroneous words and deeds and resolutely oppose them.

Japan's path toward re-militarization is not an internal affair but a global concern. When a nation that has yet to atone for its past aggression entirely seeks to acquire offensive capabilities and intervene in the sovereignty of its neighbors, it threatens the stability of the entire Asia-Pacific region. Peace is not a given. It must be defended against those who would rewrite the rules to suit their ambitions.

A call to vigilance

As this year's memorial concludes, the global gaze must shift from the tragedy of the past to the responsibility of the future. The siren over Nanjing is a warning, not just a remembrance. This occasion calls upon all peace-loving nations and peoples to unite in safeguarding the authority of the UN Charter and to reject the dangerous revisionism emanating from Tokyo.

Action must be taken to prevent the dark history of the 20th century from repeating itself on humanity or future generations. The trajectory of history is determined by the willingness to defend the truth. The world must move forward with the unshakable conviction that justice, light and progress shall prevail over evil, darkness and reaction.

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