Photo taken on Dec 13, 2020 shows the national memorial ceremony for the Nanjing Massacre victims at the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

NANJING - Chinese people keep history firmly in their minds, never forget the past, cherish peace and look to the future, said a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official on Sunday, noting that China is committed to the path of peaceful development.

Chinese people keep history firmly in their minds, never forget the past, cherish peace and look to the future, said a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official on Sunday

Chen Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Organization Department, made the remarks while attending a national memorial ceremony.

The historical suffering must not be forgotten and the pace of progress will never stop, said Chen, adding that under the leadership of the CPC, the achievements that China has made in national rejuvenation and prosperity and in fighting against poverty are the best tributes to all the martyrs and victims of the war.

The people of Nanjing observed a minute of silence and sirens were heard across the city as China held a memorial ceremony on Sunday to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

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Despite the winter chill, thousands of people clad in dark attire attended the massacre's seventh national memorial ceremony in Nanjing, with white flowers pinned to their chests to convey their condolences. Attendees included massacre survivors, local students and foreign visitors.

At exactly 10:01 am, sirens began to blare and drivers across the city stopped their cars and sounded their horns. Pedestrians paused for a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims.

More than 80 teenagers read out a declaration of peace and citizen representatives struck the Bell of Peace. White doves symbolizing hope for peace were released to fly over the square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

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The ceremony was held by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing.

In 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, which took place when Japanese troops captured the city on Dec 13, 1937.

The Japanese invaders brutally killed about 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers during the six-week massacre, making it one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.