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China marks Tokyo's WWII defeat, showcases its military strength in a grand parade

China marks Tokyo's WWII defeat, showcases its military strength in a grand parade

By :  DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-09-03 07:44 GMT
Tanks, missiles and troops in lock-step filed past Beijing's iconic Tiananmen Square in a massive parade Thursday commemorating Japan's World War II defeat 70 years ago and underlining President Xi Jinping's determination to make China the pre-
Leaders of major Western countries have stayed away from the parade, though Russia's President Vladimir Putin was prominently in attendance.
The conflict is officially known in China as the 'Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.'
But 'now 70 years have passed since the end of the war, and we hope that (China) will tackle common issues shared by the global community in a forward-looking manner, instead of focusing on China's unfortunate history,' he said, without elaborating.
Top Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters that he had no comment on the parade itself.
Japan's nationalist premier Shinzo Abe and other officials are staying away from the commemorations celebrating an end to a conflict that China says costs millions of its citizens their lives during Tokyo's imperial march across Asia.
Japan urged China to not focus on "unfortunate history" but to look forward as Beijing marked the 70th anniversary of Tokyo's World War II defeat with a huge military parade.
'In domestic terms, it's certainly a plus for Xi. But in foreign policy terms, it's controversial. It doesn't enhance China's soft power. It doesn't help China's image as a force for peace, stability and development,' said Joseph Cheng, a retired
While a hit at home, such sentiments heighten fears abroad about China's intended uses of its newfound power, frustrating Beijing's attempts to market itself as a responsible member of international society committed to the common good.
The parade panders to a prickly strain of nationalism in a Chinese public constantly reminded by state propaganda of China's past humiliations at the hands of foreign powers, especially Japan, which is widely despised for its perceived failure to
China usually holds lavish military parades only every 10 years to mark the anniversary of the founding of the communist People's Republic in 1949. By holding an additional one now, Xi ensures that he'll preside over at least two of the prestigious
Under Xi, who took power as party leader in late 2012, Beijing has sent ships to confront Japan's coast guard near disputed islands in the East China Sea, blockaded Philippine island outposts and constructed whole islands from reefs, topping them
The US sent only its ambassador to observe. In Washington, US Defense Department spokesman Bill Urban said that the US maintains such commemorations should be about reconciliation and that a 'large military display would not appear to be consistent
Most leading democracies kept high-level representatives away, reflecting concerns over the parade's anti-Japanese tone and China's recent aggressive moves to assert territorial claims.
The parade is part of commemorations packaged to bolster the ruling Communist Party's self-declared role as the driving force behind Japan's defeat 70 years ago and savior of the nation, though historians say the rival Nationalists did most of the
The spectacle involved more than 12,000 troops, 500 pieces of military hardware and 200 aircraft of various types, representing what military officials say is the Chinese military's most cutting-edge technology.
Xi then drove past the assembled troops in a Chinese-made Red Flag limousine, standing up through a sunroof with four microphones mounted in front of him, calling out "Greetings, Comrades" every few moments, before the troops started their marching.
'The experience of war makes people value peace even more,' Xi said. 'Regardless of the progress of events, China will never seek hegemony, China will never seek to expand and will never inflict the tragedies it suffered in the past upon others.'
Xi kicked off the proceedings with a speech at the iconic Tiananmen Gate in the heart of Beijing, flanked by Chinese leaders and foreign dignitaries, including Russian leader Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and UN Secretary
To underline China's position that its rise is peaceful and poses no threat to neighbors, Xi pledged to cut 300,000 troops from the 2.3 million strong People's Liberation Army, the world's largest standing military. Helicopters zoomed overhead in an
China marks Tokyo's WWII defeat, showcases its military strength in a grand parade

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