China's military parade will carry many messages
Upholding peace is the common thread(線） of events around the world this year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war. For China, though, there is added historical, political and practical significance. The announcement that a grand military parade will be held in Beijing will give President Xi Jinping a chance to affirm his leadership while showing off the nation's power. But it is not all about flexing muscle(show its power) ; it is also about sacrifice, remembrance(something such as event to keep in mind) and ensuring the past is not forgotten.
Military parades are commonplace(common in many place) around the world; they serve(function) a variety of purposes, from assuring citizens that they are being protected to intimidating enemies. For a decade after the founding of the People's Republic of China, they were a feature of national day celebrations, but the high cost involved led to them being phased out. Deng Xiaoping revived them in the 1980s and they have been held only every 10 years to mark the nation's next decade, the last time for the 60th anniversary in 2009. The pattern will be broken when Xi and invited heads of state, Russian President Vladimir Putin among them, gather in September to review troops, equipment and hardware.
A date has yet to be announced, but it is likely to be September 3, the day Japan surrendered. The parade is in keeping with Xi's patriotism push, two new dates having already been added to the annual commemorative calendar to remember the fighting and suffering under 14 years of brutal Japanese invasion and occupation. Authorities have been at pains to stress that the intention is to add to the global message of peace being sent by the various worldwide anniversary events, not to heighten tensions with Japan and its ally, the US. They are right; Beijing has repeatedly told the world that China's rise will be peaceful and that its military modernisation is aimed purely at defending Chinese interests.
Chinese worry about the nationalist policies of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and China's double-digit defence budget increases are viewed suspiciously by neighbours and the US. A Chinese show of military might on the anniversary of the surrender could certainly be viewed from a geopolitical standpoint. For Xi, though, there is an opportunity to show the control he exerts over the People's Liberation Army, which has become a target of his fight against corruption. Given that the announcement has caused concerns in Japan and elsewhere, China could have eased them by releasing more detail.
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