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Thursday, August 21, 2025

What key messages will China’s V-Day military parade on September 3 send to the world?

Photo: screenshot of CCTV News

With less than half a month to go before the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on Wednesday morning to brief the media on the preparation work. According to the briefing, the parade will last about 70 minutes. Troops participating in the parade will be lining up in formations along Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, and they will be reviewed by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission. This upcoming historic moment is drawing increasing anticipation and global attention by the day.

The parade will feature many highlights, with several "firsts" being disclosed to the public, further enhancing the significance of the September 3 event. According to the briefing, all the armaments to be displayed are domestically made and in active service, with a large share being unveiled for the very first time. These include widely anticipated star equipment. Some of the country's strategic land-, sea-, and air-based assets, as well as advanced precision strike systems, unmanned and counter-unmanned equipment, will also make their debut. This fully demonstrates the PLA's formidable capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as to uphold world peace. For the Chinese people, the sense of excitement and pride is natural.

For the world, this parade carries equally significant messages. First and foremost, the international community will more deeply perceive from the parade that the forces of peace is stronger than ever. The V-Day parade will not only showcase the continued inheritance of the great spirit of war-resistance in the new era, but also stand as a solemn declaration to the world: to uphold the correct historical perspective on World War II (WWII), to firmly safeguard the post-war order, and to resolutely defend international fairness and justice.

At a time when world peace faces new challenges, armed conflicts erupt frequently, and some countries attempt to weaken the authority of the UN, countries like China have borne in mind their mission and become steadfast defenders and guardians of the post-war international order. The more fully this parade demonstrates China's strength, the greater the likelihood of driving forward orderly and constructive transformation of the international system under peaceful conditions, consolidating the post-war order, and upholding fairness and justice.

Secondly, from the formations on parade, the world will see not only a modernized military and advanced weaponry, but also a confident, open, and responsible China.

Among today's major powers, China is one of those that most cherish peace, possess the broadest international vision, and bear the strongest sense of global responsibility. This is reflected not only in its restraint on specific issues such as the South China Sea and border frictions, but also in its consistent emphasis on resolving regional hotspots through dialogue and consultation. At the same time, a Chinese military "capable of fighting and winning wars" has effectively deterred dangerous forces that seek to incite conflicts, provoke confrontation and revive militarism, becoming an important force for shaping regional peace and stability. History has repeatedly proven that China is a nation that loves peace, and this military parade will once again send this message to the international community.

This parade will also be a display of historical justice. The victory in WWII was the outcome of the global anti-fascist alliance, which transcended ideological and national interests to stand shoulder to shoulder against aggression. It was a great triumph of justice over evil, light over darkness, and progress over reaction. For 14 years, the Chinese people, through arduous resistance and immense sacrifice, opened up the decisive front of the war in the East, making a major contribution to the ultimate victory. Yet after the Cold War, some forces, driven by geopolitical self-interest, promoted a "Western-centric" narrative of the war, leading to distortions and misinterpretations of its outcome, which is an important source of today's international instability. China's V-Day military parade, in its solemn form, reminds the world that only through unity and cooperation, through a shared destiny, can humanity meet global challenges together.

As Xi has profoundly pointed out: "Every increase of China's strength is an increase of the prospects of world peace." China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order.

By serving as a source of positive momentum for the reform of the global order, and by adhering to the vision of global governance based on consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, China will continue to provide reliable public goods for world peace and stability. What people will read from the V-Day military parade is China's unremitting effort to safeguard peace, uphold justice, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. - lobal Times editorial

Land, sea, air-based strategic weapons, hypersonic weapons to debut at V-Day military parade

A press conference on V-Day military parade preparations is held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Some of China's land, sea, air-based strategic weapons and hypersonic weapons are set to make their debut at the V-Day military parade on September 3 in Beijing, and the preparations for the military parade have been basically completed, according to a press conference hosted by China's State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

Experts said the military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, will contribute to safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as peace and stability in the region and the world.

At the press conference, Wu Zeke, a senior officer of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, and Xu Guizhong, a senior officer from the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), outlined preparations for the upcoming parade and briefed some details of the highly-anticipated event.

Troops participating in the upcoming V-Day parade will line up in formations along the Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, and they will be reviewed by President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Wu.

The military parade will be conducted in two steps: the review and the march-past, lasting approximately 70 minutes. In the march-past part, the formations will pass through Tiananmen Square in the following order: the air flag guard echelon, the foot formations, the battle flag formations, the equipment formations, and the air echelons. A total of 45 formations/echelons are arranged for this parade, Xinhua reported.

The equipment formations are organized into joint operational groups in a combat-oriented manner, including the land operations group, maritime operations group, air and missile defense group, information operations group, unmanned operations group, logistics and equipment support group, and strategic strike group, among others, Xinhua reported.

The air echelons are organized in a modular and systematic manner, consisting of advanced early warning and command aircraft, fighter jets, bombers, transport aircraft and more. They basically cover the main active-duty aircraft types of the Chinese military, with some making their public debut for the first time, according to the Xinhua report.

Some land, sea, and air-based strategic weapons, hypersonic precision strike weapons, and unmanned and counter-unmanned equipment are set to be displayed to the outside world for the first time, per Xinhua.

The number and models of equipment to be reviewed at the parade will exceed 100, CCTV News reported.

All the weaponry and equipment on display in the upcoming military parade are domestically produced active-duty main battle equipment, according to the press conference. This event showcases a concentrated display of the new generation of weaponry and equipment of the Chinese military following the National Day military parade in 2019. Its main features are as follows: It highlights new fourth-generation equipment as the main body, demonstrating the Chinese military's system combat capability; it showcases the Chinese military's new domain and new quality combat capabilities; and it displays the Chinese military's strong strategic deterrence capability, Xinhua reported.

The military parade will feature new fourth-generation equipment as the core, including advanced tanks, carrier-based aircraft and fighter jets, organized into operational modules to demonstrate Chinese military's system-based combat capability. A selection of new forces, covering land, sea and air unmanned intelligent and counter-unmanned systems, as well as cyber and electronic warfare units, will also take part, with equipment such as new drones, directed-energy weapons and electronic jamming systems, showcasing Chinese military's new-domain and new-quality combat capabilities. In addition, a range of advanced equipment, including hypersonic weapons, air and missile defense systems and strategic missiles, will be unveiled to highlight Chinese military's strong strategic deterrence. The specific models of weapons and equipment in the parade will be revealed soon, according to CCTV News.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that with all weaponry and equipment to be reviewed at the military parade being domestically built, the event is expected to highlight China's complete defense industrial sector and the country's technological capabilities in national defense.

Items such as hypersonic weapons and unmanned equipment mentioned at the press conference represent some of new-domain and new-quality combat forces in modern warfare, and they could be among the biggest highlights of the parade, according to Song.

Wang Yunfei, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that he looks forward to seeing the land, sea, and air-based strategic weapons that were mentioned at the press conference.

At present, all preparations for the upcoming military parade have been basically completed. All the officers and soldiers taking part in the parade will present themselves in high spirits to be reviewed by the Party and the people on September 3 together, a victory day worthy of eternal commemoration by the people of the world, Xinhua reported.

Remembering history, safeguarding future

This military parade is an important part of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It is meant to remember history, commemorate the martyrs, cherish peace, and look to the future, Wu said at the press conference on Wednesday, CCTV News reported.

The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression started the earliest and lasted the longest. Under the banner of the National United Front Against Japanese Aggression initiated and established by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people fought bravely and with unity and purpose. They made enormous national sacrifices for the victory in the main Eastern battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War. They pinned down and eliminated the main force of Japanese imperialism for a long time, wiped out more than 1.5 million Japanese troops, and achieved the great victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, making a major contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, Wu noted.

The military parade, which will display China's latest weaponry and equipment, should be viewed as China's effort to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as to safeguard peace and stability in the region and the world amid a complex global security situation, deterring those forces that stir up trouble, said Song, the military affairs expert.

China will not bully any one, but it will also not allow the history of being bullied to repeat itself, Song said.

Echoing Song, Wang said the event is expected to serve as a reminder that China is ready to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and safeguard peace. He reiterated that China's defense policy is defensive in nature, no matter how advanced China's weaponry and equipment have become. - official

Top Southeast Asian leaders will travel to China for military parade, sources say
Leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are expected to attend next month’s Victory Day event in Beijing Dew...

Sunday, October 6, 2019

China in the Asian century, Is the future truly Asian?

As China continues to develop, so does its global influence. What would the future be like for South-East Asia with a ‘risen China’?

Rising together: No, Chinese imperialism is not simply replacing US imperialism, as China emphasises win-win partnerships, says Prof Zhang. — Handout

China in the Asian century

PROF Zhang Weiwei is among the most respected scholars in China today. He is a leading expert on China’s “reform and opening up” policies and its status as a “civilisational state.”

As director of the China Institute at Shanghai’s elite Fudan University, he is also professor of International Relations and had served as English interpreter for China’s Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. In an exclusive interview earlier in the week, Prof Zhang spoke to Sunday Star about future prospects with China.

As the leading authority on China’s civilisational state, how would you define it, as distinct from a nation state?

With China, it’s a combination of the world’s longest continuous civilisation and a super-large modern state. A civilisational state is made up of hundreds of states amalgamated into one large state.

China is a modern state respecting international law like a nation state, but culturally diverse, with sovereignty and territorial integrity.

There are four features of China’s civilisational state: a super-large population of 1.4 billion people, a continent-size territory, significant culture, and a long history.

If we are returning to an East Asian tributary system, what changes can we expect in China’s policies in this region today?

The tributary system is a Western name for China’s relations in this region (in the past). China is a “civilisational” – as an adjective – state, a modern amalgamation of many (component communities).

During the Ming Dynasty, China was a world power – but as a civilizational state more than a nation state – and did not seek to colonize other countries, unlike Western powers that were nation states. Since then, China’s status and capacity as a nation state has grown significantly. Will it then become more like Western powers now?

China today is a nation state, but different from European (nation) states. It is also still a civilisational state.

The Chinese people are not just Han, although the Han majority is 92%. There are 56 ethnic groups in China, (mostly) minorities.

But China rejected the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on the South China Sea, initiated by the Philippines, which found China’s claims insupportable.

The tribunal was illegal; it had no right to make such decisions. The Permanent Court of Arbitration is not part of the United Nations.

How can countries in South-East Asia be convinced that the rise of China will not simply result in Chinese imperialism replacing US imperialism?

China emphasises win-win partnerships, such as in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It encourages discovering, building, and benefiting together.

Countries in South-East Asia join the BRI out of their own interest. It is not something imposed by China.

Some countries have described the Second Belt and Road Summit this year as being more consultative than the first. As for the future?

The future Belt and Road Summits will be even more open and consultative.

Is the current US-China trade dispute only a symptom of much larger differences, such as a historic divide in the reshaping of a new global order?

It is more than about trade. With the United States especially, it is zero-sum, but for China it is win-win.

The Chinese economy is larger than the US economy, or soon will be. (In PPP or purchasing power parity terms, China’s economy grew larger than the US economy in 2014.)

The United States is trying to decouple its economy from China’s. How can China ensure that it would not only withstand these efforts but also triumph?

The attempt to decouple the two economies will fail. About 85% of US companies that are already in China want to stay.

Looking at the trade structure, most Chinese exports to the US are irreplaceable. No other place in the world gives a better price-quality ratio in manufactured goods.

So the US cannot win in this decoupling because there are no alternatives (as desirable producing countries). China has the world’s largest chain or network, or factory clusters, for all kinds of goods.

How likely do you see a hot war – more than a trade war or a cold war – breaking out between a rising China and what is perceived to be a declining United States?

The US knows that it won’t win (a hot war). No two nuclear-armed countries will go to war. It would be very messy.

So far no two nuclear-armed countries have fought. There may be a small likelihood of direct confrontation, but not a war situation.

No commercial shipping has been interrupted by China. So the US need not worry.

Can Asean, or an Asean country like Malaysia, help to bring the United States and China closer together as partners rather than as rivals?

Possibly. Malaysia perhaps can help, as it is friendly to both China and the US.

As China continues in its rise, what steps is it taking to provide for more cooperative and consultative relations in this region?

Trade between China and Asean countries, for example, has grown, and has now exceeded China-US trade.

Generally, China’s relations with Asean countries are quite promising, with Free Trade Area relationships as well.

By Bunn Nagara, who is Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.

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Poised for growth: Shipping containers sit stacked next to gantry cranes at the Yantian International Container Terminals in Shenzhen, China. — Bloomberg

Is the future truly Asian?

The Region, while growing fast, faces issues such as youth joblessness, climate change and income gaps

THIS is a question that is at the heart of the tensions across the Pacific.

To Parag Khanna, author of The Future Is Asian (2019), the answer is almost self-evident.

However, if you read his book carefully, you will find that he thinks global power will be shared between Asian and Western civilisations

For the West, the rise of Asia has been frighteningly fast, because as late as 1960, most of Asia was poor, agricultural and rural, with an average income per capita of less than US$1,000 in 2010 prices.

But 50 years on, Asia has become more urban and industrialised, and is becoming a challenge to the West in terms of trade, income and innovation.

Global management consulting firm McKinsey has just published a study on “The Future is Asian” that highlights many aspects why Asia is both attractive to businessmen and yet feared as a competitor.

Conventionally, excluding the Middle East and Iran, Asia is divided into North-East Asia (China, Japan and South Korea), South-East Asia (mostly Asean), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) and Central Asia.

But McKinsey has identified at least four Asias that are quite complementary to each other.

First, there is Advanced Asia, comprising Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Singapore, each with per capita incomes exceeding US$30,000 (RM125,600), highly urbanised and rich, with a combined GDP that is 10% of global GDP.

This group provides technology, capital and markets for the rest of Asia, but it is ageing fast.

Second, China is the world’s largest trading economy, second largest in GDP after the United States, and a growing consumer powerhouse. By 2030, the Chinese consumer market will be equal to Western Europe and the United States combined.

China is also an increasing capital provider to the rest of the world.

Third, the 11 countries of Emerging Asia (Asean plus Bhutan and Nepal, excluding Singapore) have young populations, fast growth and cultural diversity.

Fourth, Frontier Asia and India – covering essentially South and Central Asia including Afghanistan – which have 1.8 billion in population, still rural but young.

Taken together, these four Asias today account for one-third of global GDP and 40% of the world’s middle class.

But what is remarkable is that while the region grew from trading with the rest of the world, intra-regional trade has grown faster, to 60% of total trade, with intra-regional foreign direct investment (FDI) at 66% of total inward FDI, and 74% of air traffic.

Much of Asian growth will come from rapid urbanisation, amid growing connectivity with each other. The top 20 cities in Asia will be mega conglomerates that are among the largest cities in the world with the fastest-growing income.

A major finding is that America First-style protectionism is helping to intensify the localisation and regionalisation of intra-regional connectivity in terms of trade, finance, knowledge and cultural networks.

Furthermore, the traditional savings surpluses in Asia basically went to London and New York and were recycled back in terms of foreign direct investment and portfolio flows.

But no longer.

Increasingly, Asian financial centres are emerging to compete to re-pump surplus capital from Advanced Asia and China to fund the growth in Emerging and Frontier Asia.

In short, intra-regional finance is following intra-regional trade.

In a multipolar world, no one wants to be completely dependent on any single player but prefers network connectivity to other cities and centres of activity and creativity.

As Khanna puts it: “The phrase ‘China-led Asia’ is thus no more acceptable to most Asians than the notion of a ‘US-led West’ is to Europeans.”

But are such rosy growth prospects in Asia predestined or ordained?

Based on the trajectory of demographic growth of half the world’s young population moving into middle income, the logical answer appears to be yes.

But there are at least three major bumps in that trajectory.

First, Asia, like the rest of the world, is highly vulnerable to global warming.

Large populations with faster growth mean more energy consumption, carbon emissions and natural resource degradation. Large chunks of Asia will be vulnerable to more water, food and energy stresses, as well as natural disasters (rising seas, forest fires, pandemics, typhoons, etc).

Second, even though more Asians have been lifted out of poverty, domestic inequality of income and wealth has increased in the last 20 years.

Part of this is caused by rural-urban disparities, and widening gaps in high-value knowledge and skills. Without adequate social safety nets, healthcare and social security, dissatisfaction over youth unemployment, access to housing, and deafness to problems by bureaucracies has erupted in protests everywhere.

Third, geopolitical rivalry has meant that there will be tensions between diverse Asia over territorial, cultural and religious differences that can rapidly escalate into conflict. The region is beginning to spend more on armaments and defence instead of focusing on alleviating poverty and addressing the common threat of climate change.

Two generational leaders from the West have approached these threats from very different angles.

Addressing the United Nations, 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg dramatically shamed the older generation for its lack of action on climate change.

“People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are at the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you, ” she said.

The young are idealistically appealing for unity in action against a common fate.

In contrast, addressing the UN Security Council, US President Donald Trump was arguing the case for patriotism as a solution to global issues. Climate change was not mentioned at all.

Since the older generation created most of the carbon emissions in the first place, no wonder the young are asking why they are inheriting all the problems that the old deny.

This then is the difference in passion between generations.

Globalisation occurred because of increasing flows of trade, finance, data and people. That is not stoppable by patriot-protected borders.

A multipolar Asia within a multipolar world means that even America First, however strong, will have to work with everyone, despite differences in worldviews.

All patriots will have to remember that it is the richness of diversity that keeps the world in balance.

The writer ANDREW SHENG is a distinguished fellow with the Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong. This article is part of the Asian Editors Circle series, a weekly commentary by editors from the Asia News Network, an alliance of 24 news media titles across the region.

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