Latest news with #MarcoPoloBridgeIncident
Yomiuri Shimbun
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
China Voices No Criticism of Japan at Ceremony Commemorating Marco Polo Bridge Incident
BEIJING — China held a ceremony on Monday to mark the 88th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a prelude to the Second Sino-Japanese War. No major criticism of Japan was made at the ceremony, which was held near the bridge in Beijing's suburbs, at a museum memorializing resistance to 'Japanese aggression.' According to state-run news agency Xinhua, the Chinese Communist Party's fifth-ranked official, Cai Qi, who is a member of the Central Committee Secretariat and is also on the Politburo Standing Committee, delivered a speech that stressed how the party fought bravely on the front lines of the resistance. This was the first time for a member of the Politburo — the party's supreme policy-making body — to attend the ceremony since 2022, which marked 85 years since the incident. According to Xinhua, Cai called for unity within the party, urging the thorough implementation of President Xi Jinping's guiding ideology. However, Cai did not make any notable criticisms of Japan in his speech, possibly in consideration of warming ties with Japan. Beijing has labeled this year 'the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japan' and is ramping up its publicity campaign. A special exhibition on the history of the Second Sino-Japanese War and Japan's war crimes started Monday at the museum. Xinhua reported that Xi visited a facility related to the country's fight against Japan in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, on Monday and laid flowers in memory of those who died in battle. A military parade is set to be held at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, which China celebrates as the anniversary of its victory over Japan.
The Mainichi
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
China marks 88th anniversary of skirmish that led to war with Japan
China held a ceremony Monday to mark the 88th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident that triggered the start of a full-blown war with Japan. Cai Qi, the No. 5 figure in the ruling Communist Party, attended the annual event held at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, located near the bridge in southwestern Beijing, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. A skirmish between Japanese and Chinese troops occurred near the stone bridge, also known as the Lugou Bridge, on July 7, 1937, developing into the second Sino-Japanese War that lasted until Japan's surrender to the Allied Powers in 1945. The Chinese government on Monday also held the opening ceremony for a special exhibition at the museum to mark the 80th anniversary this year of the end of World War II, which China calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The exhibition will open to the public on Tuesday, state-run China Central Television reported. The exhibition features the "criminal acts committed by Japanese militarism against the Chinese people," a government official has said, with around 1,500 photos and more than 3,000 other items on display. China has designated Sept. 3 as its victory day, as Japan formally surrendered to the Allied forces the previous day in 1945.
The Star
13-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Heart And Soul: Honouring Taiping's wartime heroes
Do you have any real-life, heart-warming stories to share with readers? We'd love to hear from you. Please keep your story within 900 words. Photos are optional and should be in JPEG format (file size about 1MB, with caption and photo credit). There is no payment for stories, and we reserve the right to edit all submissions. Email your story to: lifestyle@ with the subject "Heart and Soul". 'The Japanese bombers are coming!" shouted Colonel Hu. In a few minutes, big bombs were exploding left and right. Colonel Hu and his comrades tried to steer their lorries to evade the bombs but to no avail. Many of the trucks were blown to pieces, resulting in the deaths of many of his drivers. Fortunately, Colonel Hu and some comrades managed to escape unscathed. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Rape of Nanking in 1937 had aroused the anger of the Chinese in Malaya and Singapore. Many local Chinese volunteered as drivers and mechanics to transport vital supplies from Burma to China, with ports blockaded by the Japanese navy. Colonel Hu Kaijun was one of more than 3,200 such unsung heroes – nearly half of whom died from air raids, disease, accidents or execution. Born in Perak in 1907, Hu lost his parents young and survived on odd jobs. A quick learner, he became a licensed lorry driver within a year. Inspired by the 1925 'May Thirtieth Incident' in Shanghai, he tried to enlist in China's army but missed the Huangpu Military Academy registration deadline. During a visit by anti-Japanese hero General Cai Tingqi to Fujian, Hu was appointed adjutant for his honesty and language skills, but he later returned to Malaya due to internal army tensions. His peaceful life in Malaya was short lived as he was outraged by the Rape of Nanking. He soon signed up as a volunteer to work as a driver and mechanic to help China in its war effort against the Japanese invaders. Due to his special experience, he was promoted to be a Colonel in charge of the 156th squadron in the transportation tasks on the Burma Road. During one of his convoys, his lorry fell into a deep valley due to the slippery road and heavy rainfall near Huitong Bridge in Baoshan, reducing his lorry into a twisted wreckage and killing his assistant. Although he managed to jump out in time, his leg was badly injured in the process. During his long hospitalisation, heaven rewarded him for his sense of courage and justice. A beautiful nurse from Guangxi who took care of him soon fell in love with him. After the war, they got married in Kunming and subsequently returned to Malaya. Hu lived a peaceful life in Taiping until his death at 89 in 1996. Colonel Dara Singh (left) and General Stilwell (second from right with glasses). — WONG YOKE KHENG & ONG BOK KIN Dara Singh Japanese shells were falling everywhere. Caught in the open and facing death, Dara Singh managed to lead US General Stilwell and his group to safety. His bold, quick thinking not only saved the general – it also helped shape the outcome of the war in Burma. Born in Taiping in 1914, Dara was adopted by a Chinese family and given the name Wong Ah Leng, meaning 'dragon' – a name he lived up to. Answering the call for volunteer drivers on the Burma Road, Dara trained in China alongside other brave Malaysians. His leadership, professionalism and command of multiple languages, and Chinese dialects, quickly earned him a promotion to Colonel. On Dec 15, 1941, following Japanese invasion of Malaya, the Japanese bombed Rangoon where thousands of trucks and war supplies risked capture. Defying orders to destroy them, Dara rallied his drivers and successfully moved everything to China just in time. The mission demanded great leadership and round-the-clock effort with little sleep. Impressed, China's Transport Minister General Yee rewarded Dara a princely sum of 1,500 rupees. Lashio, a busy border town, was always abuzz. On March 1, 1942, Dara was sent to pick up a VIP at the airport – only to find it was Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Madam Chiang. After mistakenly calling him 'Big Rice Pot", Dara apologised. The Generalissimo took no offence and even invited him to lunch. While driving near Lashio, Dara's jeep was bombed by Japanese planes. Miraculously, he and his passengers escaped unhurt. Another close call came when his 1,000 trucks crossed the Salween River's narrow suspension bridge just hours before a Japanese air raid. After Burma fell, Dara designed an athletic programme to train 50,000 Chinese troops in Ramgarh, India. It was so effective that General Stilwell visited with Finance Minister TV Soong and Defence Minister General Ho Ying Chin. Stilwell's pep talk in fluent Mandarin drew thunderous applause. In March 1944, British Admiral Lord Mountbatten visited the frontline and was nearly blinded in a jeep accident. Dara cleaned and bandaged his eye before sending him to a field hospital. Mountbatten later visited Dara in 1967 to thank him. During the war, Dara preferred listening to All-India Radio in Cantonese – enchanted by the newsreader's sweet voice. He eventually married her. After the war, Dara returned to Malaya with his wife and daughter. He taught briefly in Taiping before joining the Aboriginal Department and later served as a senior game warden. He died peacefully in 2002. Colonels Hu and Dara Singh were among 3,200 drivers and mechanics from Nanyang who volunteered during the war. Though not frontline fighters, their courage and tenacity played a key role in defeating the Japanese – and remain largely unsung.
