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China's President Xi Jinping (centre at rear) gestures as he delivers a speech behind Russia's President Vladimir Putin (right), South Korea's President Park Geun-hye (centre) and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev (left) during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II. Photo: AFP

Xi Jinping says China will be guarantor of world peace as he downplays parade’s military muscle

Diplomatic observers and analysts say display of advanced weapons shows mainland is staking its claim to leadership of Asia

Andrea Chen

China pledged to be a guarantor of postwar peace and order and downsize its armed forces during Thursday’s grand parade – downplaying concerns over how Beijing will apply its military muscle when it is knocking horns with its neighbours over territorial and historical disputes.

However, diplomatic observers and analysts said that by showcasing some of its most advanced weapons during the parade, China was staking its claim to leadership of Asia.

In the interests of peace, we need to foster a keen sense of a global community of a shared future ... China will never seek hegemony or expansion
President Xi Jinping

President Xi Jinping, in his speech at the parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of second world war, spoke of China’s contribution to the victory of the allied powers – a subtle message to remind the West about the shared lineage between the two sides.

“With huge national sacrifice, the Chinese people held ground in the main theatre in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War, thus making a major contribution to its victory,” Xi said.

“In the interests of peace, we need to foster a keen sense of a global community of a shared future. 

“All countries should jointly uphold the international order and system underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter."

He added: “China will never seek hegemony or expansion.”

Yet some observers were surprised to see a country that has been so low-key about its military rise over the past few decades turn instead to flaunt its state-of-the-art equipment.

People all know that cuts of 300,000 military personnel will not affect China’s military power. The downsizing aims to restructure the army, not to make it weaker
Lee Jung-nam, a China affairs expert

Lee Jung-nam, a China affairs expert at Korea University’s Asiatic Research Institute, said Xi was keen to convey the message that China would continue to maintain peace by downsizing the military, but its neighbouring countries were not likely to take his words as a reassurance.

“People all know that cuts of 300,000 military personnel will not affect China’s military power,” she said. “The downsizing aims to restructure the army, not to make it weaker.

“The Chinese government is staking a claim about its rise – a claim, especially to Japan and the United States, that it has become at least the strongest country in Asia.”

In staking such a leadership claim in the region, China was trying to resume its central position in Asia – a position it had held long before the Japanese aggression in the last century, said Dominic Ziegler, a London-based Asian affairs commentator and the Asia editor of The Economist.

“Beijing is seeking a change in the geopolitical order in China’s region, particularly East Asia,” he said.

“China was at a central position and made all its neighbouring countries fall into its orbit. But that position was interrupted by Japan.”

To make a point to the rest of the world, China had invited more than 50 world leaders. Most of the major powers, including the US and its allies, were represented only by ministers or ambassadors.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, and leaders from the Central Asian members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation were all present.

“We can get a glimpse of today’s geopolitical order through the turnout – the [attendance of the] Russian delegation is an implicit exhibition of its alliance with China, while most of the US allies consolidate themselves in not attending,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

Neighbouring countries would closely watch how China used its military prowess after the parade, Oh said. “If China uses its power to promote regional peace, it will certainly be welcomed in Southeast Asia. And we hope it will be the case.”

 

 

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