From Belarus to Vanuatu, mainland China on Tuesday issued a list of world leaders attending next week’s huge military parade to mark Japan’s defeat in World War II that was notable for its absences.
On being asked whether China considered it an insult of the decline of invitation by major western and European leaders, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said, ” It’s up to each country to decide who they wanted to send.
If Park visits China at the same time at the parade but does not attend, it would be like signing up for a golf tournament without taking a swing, Duowei said, noting that it would no doubt draw Beijing’s ire.
Political pundits have nonetheless suggested that his absence at the event, where children may or may not be playing this game, will not likely affect relations between the two Asian nations.
Roads were closed for a rehearsal at the weekend that involved hundreds of military vehicles rolling through the center of the capital, according to the China Daily.
The anticipated presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin – now confirmed – also put off many Western leaders, diplomats have told Reuters. “It stands to reason that this established connection is one of the main reasons he was appointed to go to China again this September”.
China’s Communists were largely an underground force during World War II, with the brunt of the campaign against the Japanese fought by soldiers of the country’s then Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-Shek.
There have also been growing tensions in the region over the China’s land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea.
The South Korean President will attend an official ceremony on September 3, however, it is not yet clear if she will be present at the military parade.
Worse, a recent editorial in the London-based Economist magazine said China’s Sept 3 parade “is not just about remembrance”; it will “unsettle” its neighbors, as the country “plays up themes of historical victimhood and the need to correct” them.
It is the first time China is participating in “war games” in the Sea of Japan.
“No matter what kind of effort we may make, the sorrows of those who lost their family members and the painful memories of those who underwent enormous suffering by the destruction of war will never be healed”, Abe said.
“Inviting foreign troops to join in the parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory over Japan is also a reminder to the world about our common desire for peace”, said Liu Shixu, chief trainer of the foot contingent.