The 70th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression will be marked by a symposium at the theme museum in Beijing today.

More than 70 scholars from across the Taiwan Straits will participate in in-depth discussions on the historic role of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the national spirit during wartime.

On July 7, 1937, invading Japanese forces attacked Marco Polo Bridge to enter Wanping County in southwest Beijing. The Chinese defended the bridge with their lives. The day marked the beginning of Japan's all-out aggression against China and the eight-year War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

A series of commemorative activities, including workshops and exhibitions, have been planned this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the incident.

The infamous Nanjing Massacre, during which about 300,000 Chinese were brutally killed and thousands of women were raped and tortured by the Japanese army also took place 70 years ago.

A two-day seminar, organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ended in Beijing yesterday. Thirty-five articles dealing with almost every social aspect of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression were submitted at the seminar.

Director of the academy's Institute of Modern History Bu Ping said the papers offer new clues for the further studies on the period and will help in taking forward the research in Sino-Japanese history.

China hopes Sino-Japanese ties to move in the right direction by "taking history as a mirror and looking to the future".

"The reason why we choose not to forget the past is to cherish the hard-won peace and happy life and work for a better future," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

He urged Japan to handle the history issues properly and maintain the momentum of Sino-Japanese ties' development.

Tojo's granddaughter

In a disturbing development, the granddaughter of Japanese wartime prime minister Hideki Tojo said on Tuesday that if she won the parliamentary election later this month, she would push to strengthen the country's military and rewrite the history of the Nanjing Massacre.

Contesting as an independent, Yuko Tojo is seeking a seat in the upper house of Parliament. Her candidacy has drawn attention because of her family connection.

(China Daily July 6, 2007)