V-Day parade plans show China's determination to defend peace

DHAKA - Bangladeshi experts have said China's plan to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, including a parade on Sept 3 in Beijing, sends a significant message to the world as China is determined to follow the path of peaceful development and defend world peace.

The parade will be the first time China has marked the anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the victory of WWII.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will speak at the event. Representatives of veterans, civilians who supported the army during the war and relatives of the fallen will take part in the parade.

Xi will also present medals to representatives of war veterans and relatives of deceased military officers.

Mahbubur Rahman, a former chief of Bangladesh army, said, "Not only Chinese people but the people around the globe will get opportunity to remember the brutality of invaded Japanese forces. It is a very good imitative as it will cement further the Chinese people's unity under the leadership of Chinese Communist Party."

The former military chief noted that it will also bring a message of peace in the region, saying, "Through commemorating the martyrs, Chinese people will give a very important message that they are against any invasion and their effort is to bring peace in this region."

Shahab Enam Khan, chairman of the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University, said, "I think China is willing to project their future capability and also want to demonstrate not only their arms power but soft power too," he said.

Khan said China is renewing its global power agenda which is logical because its economic depth is huge.

"China has been reforming and renewing its diplomatic and foreign policy ... As American economy is gradually shrinking and China's economic strength is phenomenally growing, this event will expose many directions of future on terms of economy and strategic equations," he observed.

Apart from the military parade, China will also hold an array of other activities to commemorate the anniversary, including seminars and a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

In May, China announced a national holiday to celebrate the victory on Sept. 3, hoping to encourage more people to take part in commemoration activities.