Karachi:
President Xi Jinping urged world nations to “eliminate the root cause of the war and prevent historical tragedies from resorting,” since China celebrated a massive military parade in the center of Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of his victory in World War II.
This was only the second military parade of its kind since 2015, held to mark the victory won strongly in what China calls the Chinese people’s resistance war against Japanese aggression and the world antifascist war.
In his speech pronounced before the parade, XI described the victory as China’s first complete triumph over foreign aggression in modern times. He said the Chinese people made enormous sacrifices in war, contributing significantly to the “salvation of human civilization and the defense of world peace.” By reaffirming China’s commitment to peaceful development despite global instability, he warned that humanity once again faces a marked choice: “Peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and the results won or the games of zero sum.”
26 assisted nations
The leaders from 26 countries, including the key regional actors, attended the high profile event, which was closely linked to the recently completed summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin. Commemorations once again placed China at the Global Diplomatic Participation Center. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif was among those present.
At the beginning of the parade, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the North Korean leader Kim Jong a flanked Xi Jinping in a surprising unity exhibition, the first time the three leaders appeared together in public.
Directing thousands of spectators and troops gathered in Beijing, XI declared: “The Chinese nation is a great nation that is never intimidated by thugs.” He emphasized Chinese strength and resistance, telling the military that the country’s rise was “unstoppable.”
Western reactions
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, reacted with the sarcasm in social truth, writing: “Please give my warmest greetings to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, while conspiring against the United States of America.”
Western media coverage focused largely on the military dimension of the parade, framing it as a ‘warning’ to the west. Foreign policy described him as a “powerful diplomatic exhibition”, while Reuters highlighted China’s effort to show his “military power and diplomatic influence.” Associated Press reported that the parade aimed to boost public confidence in China’s defense capabilities also raised “concerns” among neighboring countries.
Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst of the Institute of Strategic Policy of Australia, told CNN that XI’s advanced armament revelation was a deliberate sign: “It is about intimidation. It is about affirming the reality of China, or the perception of China, that China’s increase is innocent.”
He added that XI’s solidarity sample with leaders such as Putin and Kim was a ‘warning’ for the West, particularly with respect to Taiwan. “China is saying … we impose the unification to Taiwan … through military force at a time of our election and we are building military capabilities to do so,” said CNN citing Davis.
Davis also pointed out that China is moving much faster in this critical area of military technology than the United States. “They are obtaining an advantage that will give them the ability to make it much more difficult for the United States and their allies to project power in the Western Pacific in a crisis.”
Natal court diplomacy
Although much of the coverage of the Western media focused on the military dimensions of the event, Chinese experts and officials emphasized that commemorations were destined as an affirmation of peaceful development and global cooperation. They described the show as a vivid sample of the “diplomacy of the domestic court” of China and a sign of Beijing’s commitment to build a stable international order amid increasing global tensions.
Speaking to The Global Times, Dr. Lü Xiang, a study researcher at the United States Academy of Social Sciences, said the events underlined China’s evolutionary role in global affairs. “In addition to remembering history, these commemorations show the strategic value of China’s diplomatic commitment at a time when the world faces a growing uncertainty,” he said.
Xinhua, administered by the State, characterized commemorations as a “crucial moment” so that countries reflect on the lessons of history and compromise together with a peaceful future. The agency also said that China, as a “capable and defender of global peace,” is ready to defend the international order after World War II and defend equity and justice.
Wang Huiyao, president of the center of China and Globalization (CCG), said the recent diplomatic initiatives of Beijing reflect his vision for multilateral dialogue and cooperation. “These platforms allow not only bilateral commitment, but also give other nations the space to know, strengthen the hand and explore common land,” he told The Global Times.
Among European leaders, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was one of the few EU representatives to attend commemorations. In a video message issued by China Central Television, Fico expressed a deep respect for the sacrifices made by China and the former Soviet Union during World War II and openly questioned why other EU nations had chosen to stay away.
“A new world order is taking shape, one based on multipolarity and dialogue,” said Fico. “It is disappointing to see the representatives of the EU act as a daring child instead of participating constructively in this global conversation in evolution.”
Military modernization on display
Wednesday’s military parade was the first since President Xi Jinping announced China’s “new trip to follow Chinese modernization on all fronts.” Beijing has established a road map to essentially achieve complete modernization by 2035.
“The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable,” XI said in his speech, reiterating his vision for the future of China. He urged the popular liberation army to join a world -class force and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
The 70 -minute parade showed the transformation of the China Army into a modern and technologically advanced force. Among the weapons on display were unmanned and contrasted recognition systems, hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons and electronic warfters.
For the first time, China presented its strategic forces based on the ground, sea and air, collectively forming a nuclear triad. The systems, described as China’s strategic “AS” to safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, included the long-range missile launched by Jinglei-1 air, the ICBM based on the Earth Dongfeng-61 based on the Earth Dongfeng-61 and a new variant of the DongFeng-31 ICBM.
