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China Fails to Designate National Humiliation Day
The Chinese Legislature passed a law Saturday saying that a "day of national defense education" is to be introduced, but failed to name an exact date because of sharp disagreements among lawmakers.
The Law Committee of the National People's Congress proposed that the date be decided upon in a separate resolution.
The formulation of the Law on National Defense Education is aimed at promoting patriotism and national defense construction, according to the law's first article.
In one of its previous drafts, the law named September 7, the date when China was forced to sign a humiliating treaty with 11 foreign powers 100 years ago, as the Day of National Defense Education.
The Peace Treaty of 1901 is also known as the Boxer Protocol. In 1900, troops from the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Austria-Hungary, also known as the Eight Allied Forces in China, attacked Beijing to suppress the anti-imperialist Boxers.
The next year, the eight powers, together with Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, forced the Qing Dynasty to sign an unprecedented unequal treaty which virtually surrendered China to foreign control.
The proponents of this choice said that this date is proper because it is not related to any one particular foreign country.
But many Chinese lawmakers said that there are also other dates that can more effectively remind its citizens of the humiliation China suffered in its modern history, such as "July 7" or " September 18," which are related to Japanese aggression against China.
One of the advocators of the latter two dates, Yang Zhenhuai, said "Japan's invasion caused the most devastating trauma to the Chinese people, and is most unforgettable for the Chinese.
"The choice of this date should not be viewed as an offense to the Japanese people, but a reminder of Japanese military imperialism, because it reflects the truth of history," he said.
Wong Po Yan, a member of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the NPC, who is himself from Hong Kong, said foreign anti-China forces have been targeting China, and it is not necessary for China to avoid targeting anyone.
Lawmakers Liang Guangda and Tong Zhiguang said the trauma Chinese people suffered in the past 100 years is far from being healed, and now the military plane collision and the textbook incidents are hurting the feelings of the Chinese people again.
"National defense education should be further strengthened in order to spur the younger generation to aspire for a stronger China," Tong Zhiguang said.
According to a law passed Saturday, primary and middle schools, as well as colleges and universities should include national defense education in the curricula.
In addition, students in senior high schools and universities should receive military training.
Government-run newspapers, radio and television stations should also promote knowledge of national defense, it said.
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