Any attempt to play down, distort, or even wipe out the history of the Nanjing Massacre will not be tolerated by China, and would only turn the sad memory into a righteous power that can inspire all human beings around the world, Chinese media outlets reported.

“China has paid a great price for its current peace, which has consumed blood and lives. The country will unflinchingly defend peace, and will uncover the brutality of the past,” wrote a commentary released by People’s Daily on Dec.14.

The remarks come on the heels of the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre on Dec.13. Chinese President Xi Jinping led a citywide minute of silence during a memorial held in Nanjing on Dec.13, with Yu Zhengsheng, head of China’s parliamentary advisory body, urging China and Japan to draw lessons from history and look forward to the future.

It was the second time President Xi had attended the event since China marked its first national memorial day for the Nanjing Massacre in 2014.

Ambassadors from Asian countries that were invaded by Japan during the WWII, as well as representatives from countries including Israel, also participated in the memorial, while over 440 overseas Chinese communities carried out memorial events worldwide, People’s Daily reported.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who arrived in Beijing for a four-day visit, also made a speech to offer condolences to the victims.

Japanese troops killed about 300,000 civilians and unarmed Chinese soldiers in the 40-odd-day slaughter. Despite irrefutable evidence and facts, some right-wing Japanese politicians have repeatedly denied the massacre. The Nanjing Massacre, like many other infamous war atrocities by Japanese invaders, is now merely an “incident” in Japanese textbooks.

“By holding the national memorial, China wants to draw lessons from history, as well as calling for the public to cherish and defend peace. Justice, peace, and the people will be the winner, and we have faith in this iron law of history,” the commentary added.