Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHENYANG, June 10 (Xinhua) — More than 1,200 historical documents related to the Japanese invasion of China during World War II were released by the Archives of Northeast China’s Liaoning Province on Monday, International Archives Day, providing new evidence of Japanese aggression in China more than 80 years ago.
These files are archive catalogues of the South Manchuria Railway (SMRR), which was founded in 1906 and ceased to exist in 1945. The colonial enterprise was believed to have financed Japan’s militaristic ambitions during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression from 1931 to 1945.
Among the files released are compensation tables for the families of soldiers killed and injured in the September 18, 1931, incident that marked the beginning of Japan’s 14-year invasion of China. The incident occurred when Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near the city of Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for the attack. That same evening, they launched a large-scale invasion of northeast China, shelling Chinese barracks near Shenyang.
Other files relate to events such as the July 7 Incident and the Nanjing Massacre. “The documents showed that the South Manchuria Railway played a significant role in Japan’s invasion of China by collecting intelligence, supporting pro-Japanese forces, financing the war, participating in military actions, and glorifying aggression,” said Cong Longhai, an official at the Liaoning Provincial Archives.
According to him, during its work in China, the company controlled the economic life of Northeast China, plundered mineral resources and collected various intelligence data.
“These files contain evidence of the Japanese invasion of China, as well as irrefutable evidence written by the Japanese invaders themselves, which is of significant historical value,” he said.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. By releasing the historical documents, Cong Longhai hopes that they will help uncover the hidden history of Japan’s long-planned invasion of China and tell the story of the heroic deeds of the Chinese people during the war, he added. -0-