Military parade to mark victory over Japanese
Print Edition
CHINA will hold a military parade this year to mark its victory over Japan, part of worldwide commemorative events for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
It will be the first time China has held a military parade in remembrance of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in the 1930s-40s.
The People’s Republic of China has held more than a dozen military parades since its founding on October 1, 1949, all of them on National Day.
Japan signed the formal surrender on September 2, 1945, and China celebrated its victory the following day. September 3 has been declared victory day.
China will invite the leaders of major countries involved in the war to attend the parade, the foreign ministry said. President Xi Jinping will oversee events including the parade, a reception and an evening gala, it said.
Besides the leaders of major participants, China will also invite those of other countries in the region, it added.
Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying declined to specify the countries, but said “leaders of all relevant countries” would be invited.
“The goal is to show that China and the people of the world have the capability and determination to defend world peace,” Hua said at a daily news briefing yesterday. “It is not to flex muscles for anyone.”
Guests will also include the heads of the United Nations and other international bodies, as well as people who helped China win the war.
“We hope these commemorative activities will help remind all kind-hearted people of the aspiration and pursuit for peace, make them work together to prevent a repetition of this historical tragedy and safeguard the outcomes of World War II,” the foreign ministry said.
The Chinese people had “made a huge sacrifice” during the war, it added.
The parade may not feature the usual pomp and ceremony associated with National Day events.
Military equipment to be presented would mainly be those in active service, but it is not necessary to display all the newly developed equipment.
The world will see the People’s Liberation Army as important force of promoting peace, said Wang Xinjun, a researcher with the PLA’s Academy of Military Science.
Liu Li, a migrant worker who is a member of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, said she was excited when she heard about the parade. “Many of my family members were killed by Japanese aggressors during the war. The bitter memory would never fade away,” she said. “No one knows better than the Chinese people that peace is the most important thing for human beings.”
Yin Zhuo, director of the Chinese Navy’s expert consultation committee, said: “The parade will convey to the world that China is devoted to safeguarding international order after WWII, rather than challenging it. We must learn from the experience of the war and not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
China and Russia have agreed that the two countries will hold joint activities to commemorate the anniversary.
China’s resistance against Japanese aggression was an important part of the war and the parade could further underline the common memory of international cooperation, which led to peace and development, said Mao Xinyu, a military researcher and grandson of Mao Zedong.
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