Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, led a visit by a Taiwan youth group to the Lugou Bridge in Beijing on Monday. The Lugou Bridge is a historic site where the 1937 incident triggered Japan's full-scale invasion of China, leading to the nation's war of resistance.
The bridge serves as a powerful symbol of China's wartime struggle against Japanese aggression.
During the visit, Ma spoke with 93-year-old Zheng Fulai, a witness to the incident. Zheng emphasized the importance of remembering history not to perpetuate hatred, but to cultivate a spirit of confidence.
Ma echoed this sentiment. He implored the "descendants of Emperor Yandi and Huangdi," referring to the legendary ancestors of the Han Chinese people, to seek peaceful solutions to disputes and strive for a future of happiness and peace for all humankind.