Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, led young Taiwan students to visit the Chinese Memorial Hall of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Lugou Bridge on the morning of 8 July, and listened to the history of the 77 Incident on the Lugou Bridge.
Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, led 20 young Taiwan students from the "Dajiu Academy" to visit the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Memorial Hall in Wanping City early in the morning. They successively visited the "Great Victory, Historical Contribution" exhibition, which recorded the frontal battlefield, the battlefield behind enemy lines, and the whole nation's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in the 14 years, and also visited the "Taiwan Compatriots' Anti-Japanese Historical Facts Exhibition" which tells about the 50-year anti-Japanese struggle of Taiwan compatriots. When he saw the tragic scenes of war depicted in the exhibits, Ma Ying-jeou shook his head frequently. While listening to the introduction of the Cairo Declaration, Ma Ying-jeou stressed that the Cairo Declaration is an international treaty.
Former Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Ma Ying-jeou:
Because it (the Cairo Declaration) also appeared in the collection of treaties of Japan, the United States, and the United Nations, it could not be escaped. Some people say that it is not a treaty, but just a historical document, which is a person who has no common sense of international law at all, and of course it is a treaty.
After visiting the Anti-Japanese War Museum, Ma Ying-jeou came to Lugou Bridge to meet with Zheng Fulai, an elderly man who had experienced the Lugou Bridge Incident in 1937.
Zheng Fulai, a witness to the Lugou Bridge 77 Incident:
I often go to the bridge to tell young people about this period of history, and the purpose of talking about history is not to perpetuate hatred, but to perpetuate the independence and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Zheng Fulai repeatedly stressed that the Japanese provoked the July 7 Incident not by accident, but was premeditated and was aimed at invading and occupying the whole of China, and that the Lugou Bridge was the main route for them to go south. During Zheng Fulai's narration, Ma Ying-jeou held his hand tightly. Ma Ying-jeou then said that when he saw the scene of the Lugou Bridge incident, he was filled with emotion. To commemorate the July 7 Incident, we should not only look back at history, but most importantly, we should learn lessons.
Former Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Ma Ying-jeou:
Most of today's young people don't know how much we contributed to the victory of World War II and world peace, and these indomitable and heroic deeds are still exciting and awe-inspiring when looking back 87 years later. The purpose of commemorating the July 7 Incident, the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan's liberation is to appreciate the sacrifices and dedication of the martyrs and sages, and I hope that our young people can firmly remember this.
When Ma Ying-jeou visited, his eyes were red from time to time, and he frequently explained to the people around him what he knew about the Anti-Japanese War. Ma Ying-jeou and those who witnessed the war have repeatedly stressed that history is a mirror, and we must tell these facts to our children and grandchildren, but not to perpetuate hatred, but to be self-reliant and rejuvenate China.
Source: Phoenix Satellite TV Huo Weiwei, Hou Youyun Lu Gouqiao report
Editor: Qiu Guo