Event to share glory of victory in war of resistance

The Sept 3 military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War is aimed at upholding the post-World War II international order and celebrating the shared victory over fascism, especially Japanese fascism.

The postwar international order serves as a framework for maintaining global peace, and China organizes this military parade to demonstrate its will to continue defending the international order.

The Chinese people fought against fascist invasion during World War II. The Chinese military and civilians resisted the Japanese forces for more than a decade, paying a heavy price with about 35 million casualties. Their resistance comprised the fight against fascism in the Eastern theater of World War II, contributing to the ultimate Allied victory in 1945.

Japan staged the Sept 18 Incident in 1931, occupying parts of Northeast China, and launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 1937. During the resistance against Japanese fascism, the Chinese people, alongside the international community, fought and defeated the Axis powers, contributing to the establishment of a political framework that restored peace across the world.

The framework comprises three pillars: reckoning with fascist states that waged aggressive wars, including stripping Japan of its war rights to launch a war against another country and prompting it to follow a war-renouncing, pacifist Constitution; establishment of the United Nations system to resolve international disputes through multilateral dialogue and consultation; and creation of the Bretton Woods system to promote global free trade.

But the international order, which has helped maintain global stability for 80 years, is now under threat. To begin with, Japan is trying to abandon its pacifist Constitution and become a "normal country", thereby challenging the existing order in Northeast Asia. And the United States has been undermining globalization, claiming it is detrimental to US interests, and withdrawing from several international agreements and organizations, and encouraging other countries to do the same.

Furthermore, the high tariffs the US has imposed on imports from many of its trade partners are weakening the postwar economic order based on the Bretton Woods system.

Given these facts, China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is duty-bound to safeguard the postwar international order and maintain global stability. In terms of economic strength, China is the world's largest exporter of goods and the second-largest economy.

The country is also modernizing its military. As part of this modernization drive, China unveiled at the 2015 military parade domestically produced weapons — about 84 percent of the more than 500 pieces of equipment and 200 aircraft made their debut at the 2015 parade. The Sept 3 parade is no different, featuring a range of high-tech weaponry, including unmanned, intelligent, underwater and hypersonic equipment, as well as the combat machinery of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

But unlike the claims of some anti-China forces, the display of advanced weaponry in the parade is not a show of force. Instead, it is a demonstration of the transparency of China's military capabilities, including the new structure of the Chinese armed forces. China's national defense policy of active defense ensures that the Chinese military will never invade another country. China's military power is for defending its sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity, and maintaining global peace.

The parade at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing will invite veterans who fought in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The war of resistance was a united Chinese fight against Japanese aggression, in which both the Communist Party of China and Kuomintang armies played an important part. Compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait fought against the foreign invaders, with tens of millions of them sacrificing their lives to lay the foundation for a better future for the Chinese people. The invitation to the veterans is a way of expressing gratitude for their selfless sacrifice.

Through the military parade, the Chinese government aims to demonstrate its commitment to defend the postwar order and help maintain global peace, making its military achievements transparent, and celebrating the victory with compatriots on both sides of the Strait.

The authors are professors at the College of International Studies, National University of Defense Technology.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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