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| Is Xi Jinping trying to provoke anger against Japan? | Is Xi Jinping trying to provoke anger against Japan? |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| In China, the 77th anniversary of an event rarely merits a nationally televised memorial service - or an appearance by President Xi Jinping. | In China, the 77th anniversary of an event rarely merits a nationally televised memorial service - or an appearance by President Xi Jinping. |
| But on Monday more than 1,000 special guests, including top Communist officials, military veterans and young children, turned out for a highly choreographed memorial marking the Marco Polo bridge incident which sparked the Sino-Japanese war in 1937. | |
| The bloody skirmish between Chinese and Japanese troops took place on the outskirts of Beijing, igniting Japan's eight-year invasion of China. | The bloody skirmish between Chinese and Japanese troops took place on the outskirts of Beijing, igniting Japan's eight-year invasion of China. |
| "This grand ceremony is here to remember history, commemorate martyrs, cherish peace and sound a warning to the future," Mr Xi said in a speech outside the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. | "This grand ceremony is here to remember history, commemorate martyrs, cherish peace and sound a warning to the future," Mr Xi said in a speech outside the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. |
| Mr Xi used his speech to comment on the present, criticising a "small group of people who ignore historical facts" and "create regional tension". | Mr Xi used his speech to comment on the present, criticising a "small group of people who ignore historical facts" and "create regional tension". |
| Dozens of school children then shouted a vow "not to forget the shame of the nation". | Dozens of school children then shouted a vow "not to forget the shame of the nation". |
| In the past, memorials of the 7 July battle were relatively low-key. Last year, a two-minute state television story on the anniversary featured local Communist Party members placing flowers on the Marco Polo bridge. | In the past, memorials of the 7 July battle were relatively low-key. Last year, a two-minute state television story on the anniversary featured local Communist Party members placing flowers on the Marco Polo bridge. |
| But this year's 90-minute television spectacle comes as Beijing is putting pressure on Tokyo to apologise for wartime acts, including Japan's use of wartime sex slaves and the Nanjing massacre in 1937. | But this year's 90-minute television spectacle comes as Beijing is putting pressure on Tokyo to apologise for wartime acts, including Japan's use of wartime sex slaves and the Nanjing massacre in 1937. |
| The two countries are also engaged in regional disputes. | The two countries are also engaged in regional disputes. |
| China and Japan both have claims over a small string of islands in the East China Sea, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. | China and Japan both have claims over a small string of islands in the East China Sea, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. |
| Last week, Japan alarmed many in China by changing the wording of its constitution, giving the Japanese military greater latitude to fight overseas. | Last week, Japan alarmed many in China by changing the wording of its constitution, giving the Japanese military greater latitude to fight overseas. |
| Monday's memorial service was the leading topic of conversation for millions on Weibo, the leading Chinese internet forum often compared to Twitter. | Monday's memorial service was the leading topic of conversation for millions on Weibo, the leading Chinese internet forum often compared to Twitter. |
| "This is a national humiliation which we can never forget," read a typical comment. "What China-Japan Friendship? Wolves will always devour humans. It is a crime to be friendly to our enemies." | "This is a national humiliation which we can never forget," read a typical comment. "What China-Japan Friendship? Wolves will always devour humans. It is a crime to be friendly to our enemies." |
| Out of thousands of comments online, only a tiny minority questioned the purpose of the televised memorial. | Out of thousands of comments online, only a tiny minority questioned the purpose of the televised memorial. |
| "Look what the government has stirred up among the people? Anger created for a political purpose is bad. This will only make things worse," the dissenter wrote. | "Look what the government has stirred up among the people? Anger created for a political purpose is bad. This will only make things worse," the dissenter wrote. |