by Xinhua writers Li Laifang, Xu Yang
BEIJING/SHENYANG, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday commemorated the 84th anniversary of the "Sept. 18 Incident", the start of Japan's invasion, with sirens and gatherings, as Japan moved closer to passing controversial security bills.
Air raid sirens sounded in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning, and other 13 cities of the province. More than 1,000 people from Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces gathered to remember the dead. Ten citizens, including the Communist Party chief of Liaoning Province and a veteran, struck a bell engraved with the characters "never forget national humiliation" 14 times, symbolizing 14 years of war which followed.
Dozens of visitors stood in silent tribute outside the memorial hall of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre in Nanjing amid sirens.
"I just want to say that the future generations should not forget the past and our national humiliation," said veteran Chen Baoshu, 90, who struck the bell in Shenyang.
The Sept. 18 or "Mukden" incident occurred in 1931 when Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for attack. They bombarded Chinese barracks near Shenyang the same evening, beginning a large-scale invasion of northeast China.
"When the bell rings and sirens wail, it reminds me of the atrocities Japanese troops committed in our land and I feel very sad," said Wang Gang, a local aircraft manufacturing plant worker.
ALERT TO JAPAN'S SECURITY BILLS
Earlier this month China held a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.
"War is like a mirror. Looking at it helps us better appreciate the value of peace," said Chinese President Xi Jinping at the commemoration on Sept. 3 in Beijing, attended by dozens of world leaders, but not Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
"War is the sword of Damocles that still hangs over mankind. We must learn the lessons of history and dedicate ourselves to peace," said Xi, committing China to peaceful development and announcing a cut of 300,000 troops.
A committee of the upper house of the Japanese parliament passed the controversial security bills amid chaos in the chamber on Thursday. If enacted, the bills will allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to engage in armed conflict overseas, even if Japan is not under attack.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Friday urged the Japanese government to contribute more to regional peace and stability.
"We hope that the Japanese government will learn from history and stick to the path of peaceful development," Hong said.
The security bills show Japan's continuing shift to the right, said Lv Chao, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, adding that Japan's latest moves are worrying steps toward the revival of militarism.
Chinese political analysts claim the security bills threaten peace in the Asia-Pacific.
Liang Yunxiang, a professor of international relations at Peking University, said the security bills will be bad for security in east Asia.
"For China, it is a very bad thing and it will certainly feel a kind of threat," he said. (Sun Qianyang and Xu Zeyu contributed to the story)
