China Marks 89th Anniversary of July 7 Incident

China on Tuesday commemorated the 89th anniversary of the July 7 Incident, also known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which marked the beginning of the full-scale Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937–1945). Across the country, military units, local governments, and citizens held remembrance ceremonies honoring the millions who perished in the war and calling for vigilance in safeguarding national sovereignty.

The Historical Event

On the night of July 7, 1937, Japanese troops stationed near Beijing under the Boxer Protocol claimed a soldier was missing and demanded to search Wanping town. When Chinese garrison forces refused, the Japanese attacked the Marco Polo Bridge (Lugouqiao) and Wanping Fortress, sparking full-scale war. The following day, the Chinese Communist Party issued a “Telegram on the Japanese Attack on Lugouqiao,” calling for full national resistance. Chinese defenders repelled three Japanese assaults, with more than 80 soldiers dying in close combat.

As Xinhua News Agency reported, “89 years have passed, the smoke of war has long dissipated. High-speed trains race past the Marco Polo Bridge, tourists fill Wanping Fortress, and residents live in peace. But the bullet craters on Wanping’s city walls remain shocking, constantly reminding people to keep that history in mind.”

The war that followed exacted a devastating toll. According to China News Service, China suffered more than 35.8 million military and civilian casualties, including over 4.1 million military personnel and 22.4 million civilians. More than 930 cities were occupied, and 42 million refugees were left homeless. Japanese forces looted 33.5 million tons of steel, 586 million tons of coal, and 100 million cubic meters of timber from Chinese territory, with direct economic losses exceeding US$100 billion and indirect losses surpassing US$500 billion.

Chinese forces fought approximately 200 major campaigns and nearly 200,000 battles over eight years of war, killing an estimated 1.54 million Japanese soldiers — roughly 70 percent of Japan’s combat deaths in World War II. The incident triggered the formation of the Second United Front between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang, uniting the nation against a common enemy.

Nationwide Commemorations

Military units across the country held solemn remembrance activities on July 7. As CCTV News reported, air raid sirens sounded at military bases as officers and soldiers observed moments of silence for those who died in the war. Yang Zhibin, a frontline officer of the 72nd Group Army, was quoted as saying: “As a frontline officer at the grassroots level, I will always remember history, carry forward the great anti-war spirit, firmly establish a sense of vigilance in times of peace, and maintain a combat-ready posture at all times.”

In Hebei, Chongqing, Jiangsu (Nanjing), and Guizhou (Anshun), soldiers visited martyrs’ cemeteries and museums. In Nanjing, troops toured the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, viewing historical photographs and artifacts that reinforced their commitment to preventing such tragedies from recurring.

Local commemorations also took place across multiple provinces. Youth.cn reported that Heilongjiang Province held events at the Second World War End Memorial Park in Hulin and the Hutou Fortress Museum, where students and community members participated in educational activities. In Anhui Province, residents gathered at the Yangwan Massacre Memorial Hall to honor victims and learn about wartime history.

Contemporary Warnings and Political Significance

The commemoration carried pointed contemporary political messaging. The PLA Daily, writing via CNR Military, warned explicitly about resurgent Japanese militarism: “Particularly worthy of high vigilance is that Japanese militarism’s ghost has not dissipated and has recently shown signs of resurging. Certain politicians have made absurd statements such as ‘A Taiwan contingency is a Japanese contingency,’ openly claiming that the Taiwan Strait situation could constitute a ‘survival crisis situation’ for Japan to invoke collective self-defense rights.”

The article emphasized that “today’s China is no longer the China of 1937” and called for strengthening national defense awareness. It stressed that “national security threats often arrive without warning” and that defense consciousness must be cultivated continuously.

Analysis and Forward Look

The 89th anniversary comes amid heightened tensions between China and Japan over historical issues, territorial disputes in the East China Sea, and Japan’s evolving security policy. The strong language in Chinese state media regarding Japanese militarism and Taiwan suggests the commemoration serves dual purposes: honoring historical memory and reinforcing contemporary political messaging about national sovereignty.

The PLA Daily article, published via CNR Military, explicitly linked the historical commemoration to current geopolitical concerns, warning that “national security threats often arrive without warning” and calling for “whole-nation defense” awareness. This reflects Beijing’s broader strategy of using historical narratives to bolster national unity and justify defense modernization efforts.

For the Chinese public, the commemorations serve as a powerful reminder of national resilience. The phrase “吾辈当自强” (our generation must strive for self-strengthening) appeared across multiple state media outlets, connecting the sacrifices of the past to contemporary national development goals. Local events in Heilongjiang and Anhui specifically targeted younger generations, using “red resources” for patriotic education.

With the 90th anniversary approaching in 2027, the commemorations are expected to grow significantly in scale and prominence, likely involving high-level government ceremonies and broader international attention. As China News Service concluded in its coverage: “The Chinese nation has emerged from suffering and risen up through suffering. Remember, be alert. Cherish peace, be vigilant in times of peace. Never dare to forget; our generation must strive for self-strengthening.”