Chinese President Xi Jinping has attended the state memorial ceremony in the eastern city of Nanjing to mark the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre.[Special coverage]
National flags flew at half-mast and one minute's silence was observed during the ceremony on Wednesday to remember the hundreds of thousands of victims killed in the six weeks following the Japanese invasion of the then Chinese capital on December 13, 1937.
In a keynote speech at the ceremony, Yu Zhengsheng, the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, reiterated China's commitment to peaceful development.
"War is like a mirror. It keeps reminding us the preciousness of peace," said Yu. "Only by remembering the history can we build a better future."
In February 2014, China's top legislature designated December 13 as a national memorial day for the victims.
