China on Tuesday unveiled plans for the military parade to be held on September 3. The parade is to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
According to the plans, a column composed of model Chinese troops, including the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army, the Northeast China Anti-Japanese United Forces and the South China Guerrillas will march in the parade, and foreign troops have been invited to participate for the first time. The military parade is expected to connect the past and the future, China and the world and send a message of peace and development.
With more than two months to go and intense efforts in preparation, the commemoration is highly anticipated. Compared to the 14 military parades China has organized since the founding of the People's Republic of China, this 15th parade will be the most international one.
So what are the highlights? The list of the foreign troops, level of modern equipment and creativity of the parade, some argue.
However, these perhaps don't matter a lot to China, because the goal of its parade is to commemorate the Asia-Pacific theater of WWII, and make the world remember the suffering and contribution Chinese received and made during the war.
There were more prolonged battles in the Asia-Pacific War than in the European theater, with more soldiers and civilians killed or injured. But it only gets a very abridged narrative in world history. Some people in the US and Europe have no understanding of events in China at that time. This is unfair. The military parade will sustain the world's attention on the history of the Asia-Pacific theater. This is the due respect the West should show to the East, and the best remembrance to the Chinese who fought a bloody war over 70 years ago.
China was at its weakest in history when it was scourged by WWII. But 70 years later it has miraculously grown into an influential global power. We have turned over a page of history and laid a firm foundation for national confidence.
Chinese philosophy advocates that remembering the past is to face the future. We must draw the strength to advance from musing over memories of the past.
To advance further, China has to share more global responsibilities. Today, we are more able to contribute to world peace. It is not diplomatic rhetoric. With China's size, we have to honor our words regarding major world issues and promote win-win concepts in the world.
With sincerity, there is no reason why China can't hold a successful military parade. We are not seeking concrete interests, but want to express our hopes, present history, display our goodwill and enable the outside world to understand our strength.
