Today, China commemorates Japan's surrender marking the end of the second world war, on September 2, 1945. It is doing so with a massive military parade in Tiananmen Square.
The mainland newspaper, the , claims that one of the most important goals of this parade is to achieve a sense of national cohesion.
This greater sense of national identity may increase people's trust in the central government.
However, this will in turn lead to raised expectations on the part of the public, which could in turn limit the policy options tackling problems.
The government should respond to the internal and external challenges the country faces in a rational and moderate manner.
Efforts aimed at creating a heightened sense of nationalism will not in any way aid efforts to resolve the economic and social contradictions faced by the nation.
