China marks 84th anniversary of Sept. 18 Incident signaling Japan’s invasion

World Today

Friday marks the 84th anniversary of the September 18th Incident in Shenyang, Liaoning province. On this day in 1931, the Japanese army invaded the northeastern provinces of China, and began their 14-year-long occupation of the entire northeast region.

The Japanese said the invasion was a “legitimate measure to protect vital railways of industrial importance.”

Hundreds of people, including officials from the central and provincial governments, representatives from the People’s Liberation Army, and young students gathered at the square of the 9.18 Museum in Shenyang to attend the memorial ceremony.

At 9.18 a.m., the bell rang 14 times in honor of the 14 years of resistance against Japanese invasion, followed by a three-minute-long siren. The siren was also rung in many other provinces across the country, to commemorate the incident, which left an indelible mark on China.

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