Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has apologised to China on behalf of his country for the massacre of more than 300 Chinese by rebels in the northern city of Torreon.
The massacre which happened 110 years ago during the Revolutionary War claimed over 300 Chinese lives between May 13, and 15, 1911. A total of 303 Chinese people were killed in Torreon.
Mexico must not only recognise its responsibility and guilt, but also vow to never allow racism, discrimination, and xenophobia again, Lopez Obrador said at a joint ceremony with the Chinese ambassador to Mexico, Zhu Qingqiao, in Torreon.
Thousands of these Chinese went to Mexico to work from the late 19th century. Many worked on the construction of the railway network, while others worked on farms, in mines, as traders or in laundries.
They encountered hatred, violence, and discrimination, which led many to leave Mexico again in the decades that followed. According to figures from the Mexican Government, the Chinese population shrank from 15,960 to just 4,800 between 1930 and 1940.
Lopez Obrador noted that Mexico had been largely silent about the massacre in Torreon for the past 110 years.
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