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[*** Editor’s note: The English translation is more or less true to the original Chinese version. But the language is very awkward. I suggest to delete this letter, or have a native English speaker to correct the English.]

Comrade Tong Zeng:

I’ve read the article Pursuing Justice Against Japan printed on Sichuan News of January 19 from Weekly Digest of February 3 launched by Sichuan Daily, which describes that you are demanding compensation against Japan to Chinese victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China in accordance with the international law and quotes the statements made by Foreign Ministry spokespersons at the 5th Session of the 7th National People’s Congress and during the visit between Japanese and Chinese leaders. I am sincerely in favor of and support your program.

I don’t want to say much before getting contact with you. I already have so many thoughts when writing this letter. The following is a brief description of my story. I was born at Beipingxiang, Danzishi, Nan’an, Chongqing in July 1932. My parents once opened a restaurant near Zhongshan Park (now People’s Park) near Xinhua Road (Daliangzi) and Changping Street (now Zhourong Road), Shangbancheng, downtown Chongqing. After the outbreak of the anti-Japanese war, a large number of migrants (people escaping from other provinces to Sichuan) came to Chongqing. My parents began to sell pancakes, fritters, soy milk, steamed dumplings, etc. On May 3, 1939, Japanese planes bombed Chongqing. As my parents spent time closing the store, they didn’t have enough time to hide in the dugout near the park when the air raid alert rang, so they had to hide under a tree. The Japanese planes dropped several bombs at the park that day; I couldn’t even find my parents’ corpses. When the air raid alert (there were the air raid alert, emergency alert and all clear alert) rang, my aunt, cousin and I entered the park, hid near the corridor and survived. I saw with my own eyes many dead bodies or body parts in the park and the Sun Yat-sen Statue fell down and lied on the passage. After my parents died, our restaurant was closed and I became an orphan. I returned to Danzishi with my grandmother and was raised up by my uncle, wet nurse and aunt. When I was 12, I worked as an apprentice in a bookstore and clothing factory. Chongqing was liberated on November 30, 1949. On December 6, 17-year-old me joined the No. 47 People’s Liberation Army to eliminate bandits in Western Hu’nan. In October 1950, I went to Korea to resist U.S. aggression. In November 1951, I got injured near Kaesong (I am now a second-level Class B disabled veteran). I returned to Chengdu, Sichuan in 1953, where I studied at the First Quick Junior High School for Revolutionary Disabled Soldiers. In 1954, I was transferred to work with the Posts and Telecommunications Administration of Chengdu. In 1956, I was transferred back to Chongqing and now I am a retired employee from the Chongqing Post Office.

Whenever I recall these memories, I couldn’t help but feel sad. The memories of being an orphan, begging for food and working as an apprentice came back to me. The Japanese soldiers used bayonets hung with Japanese sun flag to stab our compatriots and Japanese planes with plastered wings flew over the sky to bomb Chongqing. (I witnessed) When Japan surrendered some militarists cut open their bellies, shouting “allegiance to the emperor!”. In early 1970, China and Japan established a friendship due to the changes of the international and domestic circumstances. Then, Comrade Deng Xiaoping visited Japan and implemented the opening-up policy. Numerous Japanese technologies were introduced in China and Hiroshima, Japan became a sister city of Chongqing. (Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed by the U.S. because they deserved it. The Japanese people should get even with Japanese militarists. This is different from Chongqing being bombed by Japan) Last year was the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. General Secretary Jiang visited Japan and the Japanese Emperor visited China. The current and past events are mixed up, but history is one thing and reality is another. Don’t we say that it is betrayal to forget the past? Don’t we say that we have a profound hatred of whoever killed our parents? Don’t we say that a blood debt must be paid with blood? Japan did injustice to Chinese people in the past. We today have the right to pursue justice against Japan. It is totally reasonable and legal. I feel uncomfortable whenever I see our Five-Starred Red Flag flying with the Japanese Sun Flag. Maybe this is what’s called “national feelings”. Ok, I’ll stop here, otherwise I may get mad.

The mountain city of Chongqing was a rear region during the war. Apart from bombing by Japanese planes, we Chongqing people suffered less than those in northeastern three provinces (September 18 Incident in 1931), northern China, central China, southern China and eastern China. They are in a better position to pursue justice and compensation against Japan.

The records show that “Our government has never given up the compensation of 180 billion USD.” 180 billion USD can be converted to RMB 1 trillion. There were so many compatriots who were sacrificed or victimized during the anti-Japanese war in the Occupied Areas. But today, tens of millions of Chinese people, including those in the anti-Japanese areas are living under the subsistence line. It’s reasonable to help these people with the compensation. Although I am an indirect victim of Japan’s war of aggression against China, I still have a hatred of the Japanese army because they killed my parents.

Comrade Tong Zeng, you are from Chongqing yourself. If you need the material “Records on the Mountain City of Chongqing Being Bombed by Japanese Planes During the Anti-Japanese War” (Edited by the Cultural and Historical Data Research Council, CPPCC, Nanning), I can send it to you. I also ask you to send me some materials about Pursuing Justice Against Japan, including your article Revelation reprinted by dozens of publishing houses such as People’s Daily, Worker’s Daily and your opinion letter to the Letters and Visits Bureau of the National People’s Congress General Office.

This is my first letter to reach you and discuss with you. Please enlighten me if there is any inappropriateness. Looking forward to your reply.

Salute you on behalf of millions of victims of the anti-Japanese war.

Attached is a copy of Weekly Digest.

Retired employee from Chongqing Post Office
Deng Zhengqun
February 11, 1993