Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who is visiting mainland China, visited the Nanjing Massacre Memorial on the 29th and left a message saying "History must never be forgotten," according to Taiwanese media.
On the morning of the same day, Ma visited the Nanjing Massacre Victims Memorial Hall in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and wrote the seven characters "歷史絶不可遺忘 (History must never be forgotten)" in the guestbook.
Afterwards, Ma told reporters, "I have seen books and photos about the history of the Nanjing Massacre in the past, but I have never been as shocked as I was today," adding, "The Chinese were the greatest victims of this rare beastly act in human history."
He emphasized that the Chinese people must learn lessons from the Nanjing Massacre and strengthen themselves to avoid being bullied. Ma added, "Regardless of which side of the strait the Chinese are on, they must be self-reliant and self-strengthening, and bravely resist bullying from outside."
Ma also stressed that China and Taiwan must avoid war. He said, "If war breaks out, it cannot be compensated by anything, so we must study and discuss how to avoid war."
The Nanjing Massacre refers to the incident from December 13, 1937, to January of the following year, when Japanese troops occupying Nanjing, the capital of the Kuomintang government, killed civilians and soldiers. The Chinese government officially estimates that the Japanese army killed more than 300,000 people over six weeks. On the other hand, Japan maintains that it is difficult to determine the exact number of victims.
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