China commemorates the September 18 incident

A major exhibition at the Monument to the Revolutionary Martyrs of Northeast China will unveil a rare artifact of national significance on September 18, 2024 – a map from 1939 detailing the systematic immigration of settlers by the Japanese military in Northeast China. Photo: VCG

In cities across China, air raid sirens blared, citizens paid silent tribute, historical documents published for the first time brought the painful story to the public's attention again, and social media was flooded with messages like “Never forget the national humiliation!”

On Wednesday, China commemorated the 93rd anniversary of the September 18 incidents. On that day, the country paid tribute to the past and loudly called for peace.

Although the war is long over, recent developments have reignited concerns among peace-loving people in China and the wider international community. Japan's record military budget and its provocative words and actions on the Taiwan issue and the South China Sea, along with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's controversial ritual offering at the notorious Yasukuni Shrine last month, have raised alarm bells about the dangerous shift to the right in Japanese politics, observers warn.

In addition, the dissolution of major factions amid scandals over political donations has led to chaotic elections as Japan faces a presidential election for its ruling Liberal Democratic Party in late September. The factions' ineffective intra-party competition mechanism could lead to populist policies designed only to attract attention, further complicating Japan's political landscape and increasing uncertainty about its future direction, Chinese observers say.

In Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, the September 18th History Museum hosted an event where representatives from different sectors of society came together to pay their last respects to the fallen heroes.

A rare artifact of national significance was unveiled on Wednesday as part of a major exhibition at the Monument to the Revolutionary Martyrs of Northeast China: a 1939 map detailing the Japanese military's systematic immigration of settlers into northeast China, CCTV reported.

The response to this commemoration was clearly noticeable on Chinese social media. At the time of going to press, the topic “93rd anniversary of the September 18th incidents” had received around 230 million views on Sina Weibo.

In an interview marking the 93rd anniversary of the September 18 incidents, Yuji Miyamoto, president of the Japan-China Friendship Center and former Japanese ambassador to China, shared his insights on the historical significance of the event.

“The starting point of our reflection on history must be the September 18 incident,” Miyamoto noted.

Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow in the Department of Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that we must continue to be vigilant against Japan's attempts to foment geopolitical conflict and fuel an arms race in the region, which would have a negative impact on regional peace and stability. The fundamental reason is that Japan lacks an objective understanding and thorough examination of its past, Xiang said.