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ChinasMilitaryParade:AWarningtoJapanandtheUS|TheDiplomat

China's 2009 military parade

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Jian Kang

China's Military Parade: A Warning to Japan and the US

Chinas military parade is not only meant to intimidate Japan its a signal to the U.S. as well.
By Shannon Tiezzi
January 28, 2015

Thisyearmarksthe70thanniversaryoftheendofWorldWarII.Countriesaroundtheworldwillcommemoratethe
eventwiththeirowncelebrationsincludingaMayceremonyinRussiathatisexpectedtobeattendedbyChinese
PresidentXiJinpingandevenNorthKoreanleaderKimJongun.Thisweek,Chinaannounceditsownplansto
commemoratetheendofthewarwithagrandmilitaryparade.
ChinatypicallyholdsamajormilitaryparadeoneverytenthanniversaryofthefoundingofthePeoplesRepublic.The
lastparadecamein2009underthenPresidentHuJintaoandincorporated52Chinesemadeweaponssystems,
includingcruisemissiles,drones,and(flyingoverhead)fighterjets.The70thanniversaryoftheendofWorldWarII
providesXiahandyexcusetoholdhisownmilitaryparadewithoutwaitinganotherfouryearsforthe70thanniversary
ofthePRCtorollaround.
Backin2009,anofficialfromtheNationalDayMilitaryParadeJointCommandattemptedtoreassureobserversthat
thepublicdisplayofChinasmilitarymightwasnotmeanttointimidateanyone.Acountrysmilitaryabilityisnota
threattoanyonewhatisimportantisitsmilitarypolicy,heinsisted.ForeignMinistryspokespersonHuaChunying
echoedthisstancewhenaskedaboutthe2015militaryparadeinTuesdayspressconference.Byhosting
commemorativeeventswithothercounties,Chinaistoawakeneachandeveryvirtuousmansdesireforand
commitmenttopeace,torefreshpeoplesmemoryofthehistoryandloveforpeace,andtoshowcaseChinasstaunch
positionofupholdingthevictoryofWWIIandthepostwarinternationalorder,andsafeguardingworldpeace,Hua
said.
OneChinesemediareport,however,isofferingadifferentexplanation.AnonlinepiecefromPeoplesDailyattemptsto
unravelthepoliticalsignificanceofChinaforthefirsttimeholdingamilitaryparadenotlinkedtotheanniversaryofthe
PRCfounding.Theveryfirstreason?TodisplayChinasmilitarypower.Militarymightisacrucialaspectofnational
strength,thepieceexplains,thenecessarybackingforbothpoliticalchessmatchesandeconomiccompetition.Nowthat
Chinahasbecomeamajorplayerintheworldsgeopoliticalscene,itstimeforChinatodisplayitsmilitarypower.
ThesecondreasongivenbythePeoplesDailypieceistheonereceivingalltheattention:tointimidateJapan.The
pieceexplains,Inrecentyears,backedbytheU.S.returntoAsiastrategyforcontainingChina,JapansChinapolicy
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1/28/2015

ChinasMilitaryParade:AWarningtoJapanandtheUS|TheDiplomat

hasbeenmoreandmoreunrestrainedBarringanunexpectedoccurrence,Japanisgoingtotakefurtherstepstoward
amendingitspacifistconstitutionandpushingtowardnationalnormalization.Theonlywaytostopthisinsane
attempt,thepieceargues,isforChinatoshowitsownmilitarymightanddemonstrateitsdeterminationnottoallow
Japantochangethepostwarorder.
Toplacethisanalysisincontext,JapanesePrimeMinisterShinzoAbesrecentcommentsaboutthewayhewillframe
hisstatementonthewarhavecausedconsternationinChina.AstheAsahiShimbunreportedMonday,Abemightomit
certainexpressionsusedinpastapologiesbyformerprimeministersTomiichiMurayamaandJunichiroKoizumi,
focusinginsteadonJapansintentionsforthefuture,suchaswhatcontributionJapanwillmakefortheglobeandwhat
sortofworlditwillhelptocreate.ChinaimmediatelyreactedwithdismayForeignMinistryspokespersonHua
ChunyingsaidChinawouldbepayingcloseattentiontoseeifJapanistryingtodenyorwaterdownthatpartof
history.
ButasmuchasChinasmilitaryparademightbeamessagetoJapan,warningagainsthistoricalrevisionism,itsaimed
evenmoreattheU.S.EventhePeoplesDailypiecegaveanodtothisbyrepeatingacommonlyheldviewinChina
thatJapanisonlycausingproblemsbecausetheU.S.seekstouseittocontainChina.Theparadeismeanttoconvey
themessagethatChinahasarrivedmilitarilyontheworldstage.Itnowhastheclouttobackupitseconomicand
politicalinterestswithforce(as,itmustbenoted,alastresort).
Furtheraddinggeopoliticalspicetotheparade,ChinesemediareportthatRussianPresidentVladimirPutiniswidely
expectedtoattendtheparade.AccordingtoChinesemediareports,thiswillbethefirsttimeaforeignleaderhasever
attendedsuchamilitaryparadeandtheaccompanyingtroopreviewceremony.JustasU.S.PresidentBarackObama
spentMondaywatchingadisplayofIndianmilitarymight,PutinwillsitatXissidetowatchtheChinesemilitarystrut
itsstuff.Talkaboutsendingageopoliticalmessage.

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