China holds low-key Nanjing Bloodbath memorial regardless of Japan tensions

[ad_1] Merchandise 1 of 6 Individuals attend the memorial ceremony to mark the 88th anniversary of the 1937 Nanjing Bloodbath on the Nationwide Memorial Day on the Nanjing Bloodbath Museum in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Employees

[1/6] Individuals attend the memorial ceremony to mark the 88th anniversary of the 1937 Nanjing Bloodbath on the Nationwide Memorial Day on the Nanjing Bloodbath Museum in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Employees <a data-testid="Link" target="_blank" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/nanjing-massacre-anniversary-in-china/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjU6bmV3c21sX1JDMkVGSUFWUlFWWQ%3D%3D/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead" rel="noopener" class="text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76 collapsible-caption-module__license__CPQvV">Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab China marks anniversary of 1937 bloodbath by Japanese troopers China's Xi doesn't attend memorial China, Japan in a diplomatic disaster over Taiwan NANJING, China, Dec 13 (Reuters) - China held a low-key memorial ceremony on Saturday for the 1937 Nanjing Bloodbath, with President Xi Jinping not attending, regardless of a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan. Beijing has raged at Tokyo since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned final month {that a} hypothetical Chinese language assault on Chinese language-claimed Taiwan might set off a navy response from Japan.

Enroll <a data-testid="Link" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-holds-low-key-nanjing-massacre-memorial-despite-japan-tensions-2025-12-13/undefined?location=article-paragraph&redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Fchina%2Fchina-holds-low-key-nanjing-massacre-memorial-despite-japan-tensions-2025-12-13%2F" class="text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC">here.

China and Japan have lengthy sparred over their painful historical past. China persistently reminds its individuals of the 1937 Nanjing Bloodbath, through which it says Japanese troops killed 300,000 individuals in what was then its capital.

A post-World Struggle Two Allied tribunal put the dying toll within the jap metropolis of Nanjing at 142,000, however some conservative Japanese politicians and students have denied a bloodbath came about in any respect.

MEMORIAL CEREMONY At Saturday's ceremony being held on the nationwide memorial centre in Nanjing, Shi Taifeng, head of the ruling Communist Celebration's highly effective organisation division, referenced Xi's speech at a navy parade in Beijing in September marking 80 years for the reason that finish of World Struggle Two.

However Shi's remarks have been far much less combative than latest rhetoric from Chinese language authorities officers.

"Historical past has totally demonstrated that the Chinese language nation is a superb nation that fears no energy and stands by itself ft," he mentioned.

He didn't point out Takaichi however alluded to China's earlier claims that she seeks to revive Japan's historical past of militarism.

"Historical past has confirmed and can proceed to show that any try and revive militarism, problem the postwar worldwide order, or undermine world peace and stability won't ever be tolerated by all peace-loving and justice-seeking peoples all over the world and is doomed to fail."

Doves flew over the positioning after the ceremony, which was accomplished in lower than half an hour, in entrance of an viewers that included law enforcement officials and college kids.

XI LAST ATTENDED EVENT IN 2017 China marked its first nationwide memorial day for the bloodbath in 2014, the place Xi spoke and known as on China and Japan to put aside hatred and never permit the minority who led Japan to struggle to have an effect on relations now.

Xi final attended the occasion in particular person in 2017 however didn't ship public remarks.

China's State Council Info Workplace, which handles questions from international media to the central authorities, didn't instantly reply to a request for touch upon Xi's absence.

Nonetheless, on Saturday, the Jap Theatre Command of China's Individuals's Liberation Military put out an image on its social media accounts of a big bloody sword, of the kind utilized by many Chinese language troopers through the struggle, chopping off the pinnacle of a skeleton sporting a Japanese military cap.

"For practically 1,000 years, the jap dwarves have introduced calamity; the ocean of blood and deep hatred are nonetheless earlier than our very eyes," it mentioned, utilizing an previous expression for Japan.