President Ma Ying-jeou has commended John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin, two foreign nationals who sheltered around 250,000 Chinese from Japanese attack during the Nanjing Massacre.
Ma was speaking on Friday. Relatives of Rabe and Vautrin were in attendance at the government’s invitation.
Ma said that Rabe, Vautrin and an American doctor named Robert Wilson chose to remain in Nanjing through the 1937 massacre despite having the opportunity to leave the city. Rabe, a German businessman and Vautrin, an American missionary, were involved in the establishment of a neutral safe zone where thousands of local residents sheltered from Japanese attack.
Ma expressed his gratitude that both chose to stay behind and saved so many.