Who's Applauding China's 'Victory' Military Parade? Dictators — That's Who

On September 3, the Chinese Communist Party, led by Xi Jinping, staged a massive military parade through Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It was an extravaganza billed as a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Japan. Predictably, it showcased China's explosive military might, including formidable new weapons.

Tiananmen, the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" in central Beijing, served as a review platform for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Flanking him were Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The three anti-Japan, nuclear-armed dictators applauded as various units of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) marched by. All three seek to change the status quo by force.

This was in the same Tiananmen Square where People's Liberation Army tanks ran over students and other demonstrators demanding democracy in June 1989. Their actions resulted in numerous deaths.

The bizarre sight of the trio of dictators gathered for a military parade in the exact location of that 1989 atrocity spoke volumes. There is a growing threat of unrest not only in Ukraine, but also in Japan's own neighborhood.

Fabricating a New History

In his speech, Xi emphasized that the People's Republic of China was a "victorious nation."

However, the communist government's oft-repeated claim that "the Chinese Communist Party led the fight against the Japanese" and achieved "victory" is merely fiction, not historical fact. 

Japan's main enemy during the conflict in China was the Kuomintang (KMT) army of the Republic of China. It was led by Chiang Kai-shek, not by Mao Zedong. Rather than fight, the CCP held its main forces back in Yanan, while the KMT suffered massive losses. The CCP's aim was to reap the benefits of Japan's defeat without suffering major losses. Meanwhile, the domestic enemy, the KMT, was bled dry. The CCP went on to defeat the KMT in a civil war that followed World War II and founded the PRC in 1949.

Orchestrated by the CCP, the military parade sought to project its own rule as legitimate amid China's economic downturn. It was essentially a fraudulent "victory" commemoration staged for the benefit of the CCP itself. 

'Driving Force' Against International Order

Some 25 or so foreign leaders lined up on the Tiananmen review platform behind Xi. They came not only from Russia and North Korea, but also from Iran, Myanmar, and several other countries under sanctions by the United States and Europe. Doesn't it appear that the CCP leadership was trying to portray China as the driving force behind the opposition to the existing international order?

It is outrageous that former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama chose to attend such an event. We would point out for his benefit that there were almost no voices in Japan welcoming this overtly anti-Japan military parade.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is supported militarily by North Korea and economically by China. And if China, Russia and North Korea cooperate in the event of a Taiwan contingency, it would pose an unprecedented threat to Japan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, the world's largest democracy, did not attend the military parade. We would like to see him and others in the international community rally around the values ​​of freedom and democracy.

Unfortunately, even though South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was absent, the speaker of the National Assembly attended. Japan's government, along with the Trump administration and South Korea's Lee administration, must remind each other not to adopt an appeasement stance toward China.

RELATED:

• Rewriting History: US Think Tank Challenges CCP's WWII Victory Claims
• Caution Advised as Beijing Rewrites History for its Japan-bashing Extravaganza
• Why Japan Must Brace for a Summer of China's History Warfare

(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun