China pushing second world war anniversary events, but Western turnout could be low-key
Diplomats fear occasion will be used to denigrate Japan, and are concerned about presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the giant military parade at the scene of 1989 crackdown
China is trying hard to get world leaders to attend events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war in Beijing this year, including a military parade, but some diplomats say President Xi Jinping could be left standing on the stage with few top Western officials.
These Western diplomats said their countries were worried Beijing would use the occasion to blast Japan over its eight-year-long occupation of large parts of China before and during the war.
Other concerns were the fact that Chinese troops would probably march in Tiananmen Square, scene of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, and the expected presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Beijing-based diplomats told Reuters.
The commemoration in early September is getting widespread coverage in state media and will be among the most important public events for Xi this year. A small turnout might embarrass him at a time when China’s influence in global affairs is growing, the diplomats said.
China has usually marked the end of the war in a low-key manner.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not explicitly said who had been asked to attend the events, though in a roundabout way has confirmed that Japan had been invited.