77th Anniversary of Nanjing Massacre

Yanziji Nanjing Massacre Memorial in 2004

China's president Xi Jinping says no-one can deny the Nanjing massacre, as the country for the first time held a national day of remembrance for the 300,000 people massacred by an invading Japanese military rampage.

State media estimated 10,000 people attended a ceremony in Nanjing to mark the 77th anniversary of the massacre, including ageing survivors - some in their 90s - of the Japanese invasion of the eastern city on December 13, 1937.

"Anyone who tries to deny the massacre will not be allowed by history, the souls of the 300,000 deceased victims, 1.3 billion Chinese people and all people loving peace and justice in the world," Mr Xi said in a speech at the ceremony.

"We should not bear hatred against an entire nation just because a small minority of militarists launched aggressive wars." – Chinese president Xi Jinping

Pig Iron Bob

It was the Japanese invasion of China and this massacre that led to the famous Port Kembla Pig-iron dispute in Wollongong in 1938 with the refusal of Waterside Workers to load the British ship the Dalfram with pig-iron destined for Japan ... the dispute saddled the then Federal Attorney General Robert Menzies with the name Pig Iron Bob for the rest of his life.