In Putonghua, it is pronounced Nanjing (南京), which – in English – means southern capital. But 70 years ago, the English-speaking world called it Nanking. And 70 years ago today, December 13th, 1937, Nanking – then the wartime capital of China – was thrust down the path toward being known as the location of one of the most notorious wartime atrocities in human history. The Nanking massacre, also known as the rape of Nanjing, lasted for at least 6 weeks, though the full duration of the genocide has never been clearly defined. But what is not unclear is the brutal destruction brought upon the city and the brutality of the Japanese soldiers which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. 70 years on, what is the legacy of that assault in today's Nanjing and what impact does that event have on the Sino-Japanese relationship?
In this edition of our show, we are marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the Nanking Massacre by examining its implications on the Sino-Japanese relationship. So let's get started.
First, we'll talk about the historic event from an outsider's point of view. We're joined on the line by Professor Bruce Jacobs with the School of Asian Studies at Monash University in Australia.
(Dialogue with Bruce)
In this edition of the show we're talking about the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Nanking Massacre. Despite the wartime past, Sino-Japanese relations are moving forward. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is scheduled to visit China in the next while, and Chinese president Hu Jintao is set to visit Japan sometime next year. To talk more about the relationship between China and Japan 70 years after the Nanking massacre, we're joined now by Dr. Yu Tiejun, associate Professor at the School of International Studies at Peking University.
(Dialogue with Yu Tiejun)
History is often a window into the future. However, in some instances, it is important to be able to peer through the window's glass, but make sure that it is never opened again.
2007年12月13日，是那一场浩劫的70周年祭。
如果可以的话，爆米花影院邀请你一同纪念，不忍回顾却不能磨灭的历史。让我们一起守望和平，勿忘历史。点击和沪友一起观看纪录片《南京》（Nanking）>>