BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ninety-five years ago, on Sept. 18, 1931, Japan launched an act of aggression in northeast China that marked the start of Japan's 14-year invasion of China, one of the darkest chapters in modern Chinese history.
The smoke of war has long dissipated, but the lessons of that history remain relevant. Remembering the September 18 Incident today is not about perpetuating hatred. It is about understanding how militarism once led Japan down the path of aggression, and why any sign of that path being revisited deserves vigilance.
History shows that Japanese militarists repeatedly invoked so-called "existential crises" to justify expansion. The occupation of northeast China was presented as necessary for Japan's survival.
Now, Japan's incumbent leader has wantonly claimed that a so-called "Taiwan contingency" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and has even threatened the use of force against China. The gimmick of invoking an "existential crisis" to justify military intervention is reminiscent of the logic once used by Japanese militarists to pursue aggression in the past.
In fact, the resurgence of militaristic tendencies in Japan in recent years deserves close attention.
After World War II, Japan adopted a pacifist constitution and committed itself to a peaceful path. Yet some forces within Japan have failed to genuinely reflect on the country's history of aggression and have expressed dissatisfaction with the postwar international arrangements. In recent years, Japan has taken a series of steps to expand its military role and capabilities.
Japan has significantly increased defense spending, strengthened its military-industrial capabilities, deployed intermediate and long-range missiles and expanded the scope of the Self-Defense Forces' activities. It has also eased restrictions on arms exports and sought to revise its security doctrines. These moves have raised concerns about Japan's departure from its postwar security framework and the principle of an exclusively defense-oriented policy.
Japan has become increasingly involved in matters concerning the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Under the pretext of building a "free and open" region, it has strengthened security cooperation with other countries and sought to bring external military forces and mechanisms into the Asia-Pacific. Such moves risk increasing confrontation and adding uncertainty that threatens regional peace and stability.
At the same time, efforts to distort or downplay wartime history remain a concern. Visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, revisions to history textbooks and changes to historical public narratives have drawn criticism for downplaying or distorting Japan's wartime aggression. Such practices can mislead the public and make it more difficult for Japan to face its history and build trust with neighboring countries that suffered from Japan's aggression.
The failure of the international community at that time to effectively restrain Japan's aggression offers a lasting lesson: threats to peace must be taken seriously before they become irreversible.
For Japan, the choice is ultimately about what kind of role it wants to play in the region. The Japanese people once witnessed their country being transformed into a war machine under militarism and suffered the consequences of war. Recent anti-war protests in Japan have also reflected strong opposition among the public to sliding back to the militarist path.
If Japan's policymakers ignore concerns at home and abroad, disregard the concerns of neighboring countries and move away from their international obligations, they will only plunge Japan into an abyss.
History moves forward, but its lessons remain. Any attempt to whitewash aggression, deny wartime crimes or revive militarism runs against the hard-won lessons of the past. Remembering Sept. 18 means ensuring that those lessons are not forgotten, and that the tragedies of history are never repeated. ■
