Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan led embassy diplomats and members of overseas Chinese organizations to the Manila Chinese Cemetery to pay tribute to Yang Guangsheng, China's consul general in Manila who was killed by Japanese troops in 1942, as well as seven fallen heroes including diplomats and members of the Philippine Chinese anti-Japanese guerrilla forces, on Decemeber 13, 2025. Photo: Chinese Embassy in the Philippines

On Saturday, which marked China's 12th National Memorial Day for the victims of Nanjing Massacre, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan led embassy diplomats and members of overseas Chinese organizations to the Manila Chinese Cemetery to pay tribute to Yang Guangsheng, China's consul general in Manila who was killed by Japanese troops in 1942, as well as seven fallen heroes including diplomats and members of the Philippine Chinese anti-Japanese guerrilla forces.

According to the official WeChat account of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, embassy diplomats stood in solemn silence before the memorial and laid wreaths to honor the martyrs against the Japanese aggression. The ambassador also extended warm greetings to 94-year-old veteran Lü Shuiya, a former member of the Philippine Chinese anti-Japanese guerrilla forces, who attended the ceremony.

Jing said that the establishment of the National Memorial Day underscores the Chinese people's firm stance against wars of aggression, their resolve to safeguard human dignity, and their commitment to world peace. The history written by the anti-Japanese martyrs with their lives and blood must never be forgotten, he said, adding that Chinese diplomats in particular should learn from and carry forward the martyrs' unyielding integrity, courage, and readiness to fight all forms of evil to the end. They should strive diligently, live up to their mission, and contribute to China's national reunification and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, according to the embassy.

The embassy noted that after Japanese forces occupied Manila in January 1942, they coerced Yang and other Chinese diplomats to surrender and demanded that Yang persuade the Chinese community in the Philippines to pledge loyalty to Japan. Yang and his colleagues resolutely refused, endured severe torture, and were brutally killed by Japanese troops in April that year.

In 1942, the Philippine Chinese anti-Japanese guerrilla forces was formed under the designation "Squadron 48," symbolizing its aspiration to learn from China's New Fourth Army and Eighth Route Army. Over the three years leading up to 1945, the unit launched more than 260 operations against Japanese forces, with over 70 Chinese Filipino fighters sacrificing their lives, the embassy said.

Global Times