In less than two weeks, China will stage a massive military parade across the heart of Beijing to mark its World War II victory seven decades ago.[Special coverage]
Over 10,000 Chinese troops will march past the symbolic Tian'anmen Rostrum in the heart of Beijing either on foot or in wheeled or tracked transport, while close to 200 military aircraft fly in formations overhead.
The September 3 parade will be the country's first to mark the anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the victory of WWII.
For a country that bore unspeakable suffering during the war, celebrations for the bitter victory seven decades ago are indeed long overdue.
China was the first country in the world to fight against fascist forces when Japanese troops began invasion of northeast China on September 18, 1931. Japan began its full-scale invasion of China in 1937.
By the end of the WWII, more than 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded. The defeat of the invaders was a turning point for China after more than a century of humiliation.
Nonetheless, the awkward truth is that, as China undergoes "earth-changing" development on the economic front, few are still paying enough respect and giving credit to WWII veterans, many of whom already perished without due recognition.
Of those still living, most are already in their 90s. This anniversary could be the last they see.
But it is not yet too late. According to Qu Rui, deputy chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army, veterans who fought in the anti-Japanese war will be reviewed at the military parade.
The September feast should come as a solemn tribute to those who have shed blood or given their lives for the country's independence.
Moreover, a war memorial parade is perhaps the best way to help the world gain a better understanding of China's constructive role in WWII.
Though the terming of the war of resistance against Japan seems to suggest that it concerned only two countries, China's struggle against foreign invasion in the 1930s and 1940s nonetheless is of global relevance.
Between 1937 and 1945, Chinese troops pinned down more than 500,000 better-armed Japanese soldiers - men and material that otherwise would have threatened India or even the United States.
According to the Chinese archives, allied forces killed and wounded about 1.95 million Japanese soldiers in that eight years. About 70 percent of these casualties took place on the battlefields in China.
But China's war story has seldom been told properly on the global stage. Neither has its contribution to the Allies' victory against Japan in WWII been fully translated into political capital in the region.
Rarely have World War II commemorations across Europe over the decades made any mention of contributions by their forgotten ally in the oriental battleground.
The lack of recognition has led some to wrongfully believe that China wishes to challenge the current post-war international order it helped build in the first place.
Hopefully, the September parade will come as a reminder to the world of China's indispensable contribution to winning WWII.
The parade is also a powerful assertion of China's military development.
Over seven decades ago when China was dragged into war, troops led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) were mainly composed of infantry, with just a small number of cavalry, and artillery elements.
Now the People's Liberation Army boasts more than 2.3 million personnel across their army, navy and air force, and a considerable arsenal of both conventional and nuclear weaponry.
Earlier reports said the September parade will put on show the military's most sophisticated tanks, drones and missiles, of which many have never been publicized before.
By showcasing its military might, China is poised to demonstrate its determination and capability to defend the post-war international order from troublemakers who seek to undermine regional stability.
As the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of WWII victory, the parade should serve to remember those that died in the oriental battleground, help defend history, and safeguard world peace and international justice.
