Politics
09:57, 13-Dec-2017
China holds annual memorial for Nanjing Massacre victims
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials attended a state memorial ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre in the eastern city of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
National flags flew at half-mast and a moment of silence was observed during the ceremony on Wednesday to remember the hundreds of thousands of victims killed in the six weeks following the Japanese invasion of the then Chinese capital on December 13, 1937.
In a keynote speech at the ceremony, Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, reiterated China’s commitment to peaceful development.
“War is like a mirror. It keeps reminding us the preciousness of peace,” said Yu. "Only by remembering the history can we build a better future."
In February 2014, China's top legislature designated December 13 as a national memorial day for the victims.
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