Air raid sirens sounded in more than 100 cities across mainland China on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the “Mukden Incident” in 1931, the beginning of Japan ’s invasion of China.
The incident refers to the evening of September 18 when the Japanese Kwantung Army in Shenyang, Liaoning province, used an explosion on the South Manchuria Railway as a pretext for an invasion and quickly occupied three northeastern provinces.
Many Chinese view the incident as a day of national humiliation.
But in an editorial on Thursday, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said China’s rejuvenation was “unstoppable”.
The commentary did not directly mention the Mukden Incident but began with the statement: “An important day in history is bound to be a significant moment in history.”
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