What the Mainland Media Say | Military parade will showcase Xi's authority over world's largest army

A military parade is a ceremonial activity to commemorate a major historic event. However, it is not just about remembrance of the past but also about the future.

So there is parade diplomacy and parade politics, as it may also hold a role for propaganda purposes, often being used to showcase the military strength of one's nation, or the power of a ruling party, or its leader.

And this is why the world will be closely watching for the message that China's massive military parade in Tiananmen Square on Thursday will deliver.

The grand show, said to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war, or the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, on September 3, 1945, comes at a time when tension over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea between China and its neighbours has escalated. China and Japan are also at odds over history, due to Tokyo's perceived failure to atone for its wartime aggression.

Many suspect this showcase of the People's Liberation Army's rapidly growing capabilities is meant to "intimidate" Japan and its neighbours as well as send a signal to the United States, which Beijing believes is trying to contain the rising communist giant.

European and American officials have expressed concern that the show could send the wrong signal in an already tense region. Beijing insists the event is about peace not politics, designed to serve as a reminder of China's role as an allied power and of the millions of its people who died during Japan's 1937-1945 occupation. The government has also stated that no specific countries are targeted.