77th Anniversary of Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Chinese Reactions

The following four microblog posts by state broadcaster CCTV and state newspaper People’s Daily about today being the 77th anniversary of the July 7 Marco Polo Bridge Incident are among the top 10 most popular posts on microblogging platform Sina Weibo (at time of translation)…

From Sina Weibo:

@央视新闻: At This Moment, Please Pay Your Respects and Mourn Them! — 77 years ago today, the #July 7 Incident# exploded, a prologue to the total invasion of China by Japan. The Japanese army once boasted that they would “destroy China in three months” In the War of Resistance Against Japan, amidst the arson, killing, rape, and plundering of the Japanese, over 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians died, but never for a moment did Chinese people give up on resisting! At this moment, no matter where you are, let us pay our respects to and mourn the Chinese soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives, and forward/reshare them! Never forget our national humiliation [the humiliation of our nation]!

Comments from Sina Weibo:

晚晴客：

The difference between Chinese traitors and patriots lies in: When patriots commemorate history and the deceased, Chinese traitors instead say what use is there in posting this; when patriots resist Japanese goods, Chinese traitors instead say we should be rational in our patriotism; when patriots expose Japanese crimes, Chinese traitors instead say you are instigating hate; when patriots condemn Japan, Chinese traitors instead say you are a fenqing. The logic of Chinese traitors is that their parents were killed by Japanese people and instead of hating, he should be friendly.

找寻的小屋：

Can you first take care of the terrorists in the country [domestic China] before bringing up history, okay?! Can you first improve the quality of domestic products before boycotting Japanese products, okay?! Are you trying to start another anti-Japanese protest of beatings, rioting, and lootings?! If you want to educate the next generation to not forget history, then put it in the history textbooks, as opposed to disseminating the seeds of hate like this. Forever living in past hatreds, now that’s true cowardice!

海邃幽林：

Some people have already forgotten our national shame, treating today as if it is Valentine’s Day.

南城鸡大腿：

My grandfather was kicked [beaten] to death by the Japanese and my grandmother raised my father up alone, and never remarried.

安菲尔德的偏执狂：

The main force of the War of Resistance Against Japan has already become reactionaries [counter-revolutionaries], so how are we supposed to pay our respects to them?

From Sina Weibo:

@人民日报: July 7, a Memorial Day Not To Be Forgotten — Today is the 77th anniversary of the July 7 Incident [Marco Polo Bridge Incident]. 77 years ago today, in 1937 July 7, the sound of gunfire on the Lugou Bridge was the prologue to the War of Resistance Against Japan [Second Sino-Japanese War]. Through eight years of bloody struggle, over 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians perished. The smoke from Lugou Bridge has already dispersed, but the blood and tears of national humiliation cannot be forgotten. Today, on the #War of Resistance Against Japan Memorial Day#, light a , and remember our fallen compatriots. Never forget!

Comments from Sina Weibo:

独孤求助的灰木崖：

The resistance against the Japanese at the time had nothing to do with our noble [Communist] Party~~

肖隆君：

Today is a memorial day for the War of Resistance Against Japan, and I have a two dreams, one big and one small; the big dream: that our homeland can be strong and its people prosperous, never to be humiliated by foreigners again; the small dream: from this day on, that Lugou Bridge no longer charge a 20 yuan scenic spot entrance fee, or that the fee be changed to one of voluntary donation, with no upper limit, to be used specifically for its daily maintenance.

0深度睡眠0：

Please restore the reputation of the Republic of China military… the War of Resistance Against the Japanese was fought by the Republic of China military forces, not [Communist] guerrilla forces.

这个姑娘有点冷_：

I detest Japanese people, will never forget our national humiliation, remember those Chinese victims, and at the same time curse the country of Japan to eventually be wiped out, to be punished by Heaven/God, that they be given more tsunamis or earthquakes, destroying Japan.

袜子哪去了：

Japanese people are the most despicable and most shameless nation of people since the beginning of history that I have ever seen/met. — United States President Roosevelt.

From Sina Weibo:

@央视新闻: Support and Forward — ① China has already applied for comfort women and the Nanjing Massacre [documents] to be included in the Memory of the World Programme. ② The son of a Japanese soldier who participated in the Invasion of China War expressed that the Japanese government should construct a memorial museum for the Nanjing Massacre. ③ Hollywood German director Chris D. Nebe used a documentary to clearly explain how the Diaoyu Islands are China’s. ④ Japanese female director Tamaki Matsuoka filmed a Nanjing Massacre documentary [Torn Memories of Nanjing]: from conscience and responsibility… On today’s #July 7 Incident# memorial day, support these, and please forward this!

Comments from Sina Weibo:

阳小徐徐小阳：

If it was lifting the prohibition against Japan having a military, posting this kind of microblog post to increase Chinese people’s enmity against Japanese people [might make sense], but anti-Japanese serials are already broadcasted on TV every day. True [national] strength lies in foreign diplomacy; brainwashing people every day domestically is fucking useless.

海子y：

What was the Red Army doing at the time? Never mind the Songhu Campaign, China and Japan at the time weren’t of the same level at all. However, the Republic of China military at least fought with their lives [did everything they could to fight back], so may I ask, where was the Red Army that “triumphs in every battle”? Where was the Eighth Route Army?

景天why：

2014 July 7, the 77th anniversary of the July 7 Incident! Never forget national humiliation!

雨之魄2013：

Never forget national humiliation!!

田信宇：

Same principle, a certain government in the mainland should build a memorial museum for the Cultural Revolution!

From Sina Weibo:

@人民日报: #War of Resistance Against Japan Memorial Day# These Numbers Should Be Remembered By Every One of Our Countrymen — During Japan’s invasion of China, over half of China was trampled under by the Japanese military. Over 930 cities were occupied; over 42 million refugees became homeless; over 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians died. Among the over 40,000 Chinese laborers forced to go to Japan, nearly 7000 died in Japan; the Japanese army plundered over 33.5 million tons of steel, 586 million tons of coal… Today, on the 77th anniversary of the start of the national War of Resistance Against Japan, review history, and never forget!

Comments from Sina Weibo:

跃层小复式：

If a certain Party wasn’t preserving its strength during the War of Resistance, would these numbers be smaller? So: WQNMLGB! [我去你妈了个逼 “fuck you, motherfuckers!”]

chenfeilong0129：

Certain keyboard warriors sure are high and noble. Someone talks about the War of Resistance Against Japan with them, and they change the subject to the three years of crop failures. Some day a conflict breaks out in the house of him and his brother and suddenly a neighbor comes to murder his father and rape his mother. As his brother calls the police and prepares to get revenge, he’ll admonish his brother for wanting to get revenge, that his brother still hasn’t paid him back the money he owes him, and that he is worse than the neighbor who killed their father and raped their mother!

laupeikam：

What’s the point of remembering these figures? What can it change? Should we instead engrave into our memories several questions: why was it that since the mid-19th century that a grand and magnificent country was unable to do anything about the threats and invasion of a small country like Japan? How much of the pressure faced today from Japan has improved? Will there be another war between China and Japan in the 21st century? If there is another war, what ability do we have to defend the country and build everlasting peace for our descendents and Asia? Only by walking away from the past can we respond to the future.

落叶_forever：

Seeing the ZF recently inciting anti-Japanese sentiments, Japanese car owners are getting cautious, as brash youths may take to the streets again.

新护士打针：

I’ve always wanted to know, how many casualties did the Communist army suffer during the War of Resistance Against Japan?