A visitor looks at a painting depicting the Nanjing Massacre, at an exhibition about World War II in Beijing on Wednesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and all six other top leaders made a rare public appearance together Wednesday to commemorate 69 years since Japan’s surrender after its invasion into China. Photo: AFP

 
China's top leaders attended a ceremony held Wednesday at the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as the country marked Victory Day for the first time since the legislature ruled it an official observance day.

All seven members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, were at the ceremony in Beijing to commemorate the 69th anniversary of victory in the war against Japanese invaders.

In February, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress allocated September 3 as the official observance for Victory Day.

Presided over by Li, the leaders presented flower baskets to martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the war.

A salute of 14 guns was fired, symbolizing China's 14-year struggle against the Japanese invaders, which began on September 18, 1931 when Japanese troops attacked Northeast China and lasted until their surrender in 1945.

A total of 3,500 doves were released later to remind people of the estimated 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians who were killed or wounded by Japanese troops.

Later, officials toured a museum exhibition demonstrating the great contribution Chinese people made to victory in the world's anti-fascist war.

Featuring more than 150 historical relics and 200 pictures and video materials, it comprehensively showed China's role as an important strategic pillar for allied forces in the Asia-Pacific theater and other contributions to the war.

Addressing a symposium held for the occasion, Xi urged the Japanese government to admit to and reflect on its history of militarist aggression.

China is ready to promote the long-term, steady and healthy development of Sino-Japanese relations on the basis of the four political documents, he said, but stressed Japan's correct treatment of and deep reflection on past events is the political basis of bilateral ties.

China will allow neither denial nor distortion of this history, nor any return to militarism, he said.

Japan must show a sense of responsibility for history, the region's peoples and the future, and help maintain Sino-Japanese friendship as well as the stability and development of Asia, Xi said.

China's top military newspaper, the People's Liberation Army Daily, on Wednesday also called for a stronger army in a strongly worded article commemorating the victory anniversary.

"Every Chinese should remember the history and the heroes in the war, whatever diversified values society is entertaining," said the article. "The Chinese nation cherishes peace, but peace is not surrender to evil power or compromise in dignity."

The newspaper also noted that China's victory in World War II was hard-won at a huge cost and vowed to strengthen the army. "We should work hard to realize the dream of building a powerful army, and a potent and just military can protect the country's territory and the people's lives and properties in war," the article said.