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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Claire Phipps

China military parade commemorates second world war victory – as it happened

Soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army march during the military parade in Beijing.
Soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army march during the military parade in Beijing. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters

Closing summary

My colleague Tom Phillips has left Tiananmen Square and sends this report:

Chinese president Xi Jinping made an unexpected pledge on Thursday to cut his army by 300,000 troops, even as his armed forces put on a massive show of force during a 70th anniversary military parade commemorating the end of the second world war.

In the surprise announcement in front of a gathering of some of the world’s leaders in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Xi said China was committed to peaceful development.

And he pledged his country would “never seek hegemony or expansion. It will never inflict its past suffering on any other nation”.

Armoured vehicles rolling through Tiananmen Square during the military parade.
Armoured vehicles rolling through Tiananmen Square during the military parade. Photograph: Yao Dawei/EPA

However his words will not reassure some of China’s neighbours who will have looked on the display of military with some concern.

Xi did not indicate when the troop cut – a 13% cut in the nation’s 2.3 million-strong armed forces – would happen, but stressed the country would always “walk down the path of peaceful development”.

Tanks, missile launchers and more than 12,000 troops paraded through the square as China marked the occasion with a spectacular show of military strength designed to strengthen Xi’s grip on power.

Xi kicked off proceedings at around 10am, addressing thousands of hand-picked guests who had assembled in front of the Forbidden City under a blazing sun.

Russian president Vladimir Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping and South Korea president Park Geun-hye.
Russian president Vladimir Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping and South Korea president Park Geun-hye. Photograph: Xinhua/REX Shutterstock

“This great triumph … put an end to China’s national humiliation [and] re-established China as a major country in the world,” Xi said, flanked by Russian president Vladimir Putin and Communist party veterans including Jiang Zemin, the former president.

Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the international criminal court for mass atrocities, and former UK prime minister Tony Blair were also at the parade, although many nations – including Japan and the US – declined to attend, and some, including the UK and Australia, sent only low-level representatives.

By 11am a massive display of Chinese military might was rattling through the notorious Beijing square where troops launched their 1989 crackdown on student demonstrators.

Spectators waved red flags in the air as tanks, drones and ballistic missiles rolled past beneath a perfect blue sky – the result of Beijing’s decision to close more than 12,000 factories and power plants ahead of the event.

You can read the full article here:

I’m wrapping up our live coverage now. Thanks for reading and for all the comments.

Away from the parade, the Pentagon has confirmed the presence of five Chinese naval vessels in the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, which Barack Obama is currently visiting.

It is believed to be the first time Chinese military ships have been spotted in the area and is another sign of China’s global presence expanding far beyond its own shores.

“We respect the freedom of all nations to operate military vessels in international waters in accordance with international law. We are aware of the five People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships in the Bering Sea,” said Commander Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman.

“This is the first time we have observed PLAN ships in the Bering Sea.”

The vessels are in international waters near the Aleutians, a chain of islands that fan out from the Alaskan mainland. The boats comprise three combat ships, an amphibious ship and a replenishment vessel.

You can read more here:

The full text of Xi’s speech (in English) is here.

It’s heavy on anti-Japanese rhetoric, with seven mentions of the phrase “Japanese aggression”, plus a “ Japanese militarist aggressors”, “Japanese militarists” and a “foreign aggressors”.

The Soviet Union gets a namecheck, but the other second world war allies do not.

President Xi Jinping’s announcement that he would be cutting Chinese troops by 300,000 is likely to lead news headlines after today’s parade (though see here for some caveats about its significance).

It will be a cut of 13% in the Chinese armed forces of 2.3 million.

Here’s the part of his speech today in which Xi announced the reduction:

Chinese president Xi Jinping announces military cuts of 300,000. Link to video.

Updated

Some observers have suggested that Beijing will see the parade as a useful way of diverting attention from the recent economic turmoil in China’s stock market, writes Tom Phillips.

But Roderick MacFarquhar, a Harvard University scholar and former British MP, isn’t convinced by those claims.

MacFarquhar, who is one of the most respected observers of elite Chinese politics, told the Guardian:

I don’t think it’s a reaction to the economy – to take people’s minds off the economy – because it won’t. People are hurting because they invested in shares in Shenzhen or Shanghai. A parade in Beijing with tanks galore is not going to take their minds off it.

MacFarquhar thinks the main aim is to establish Xi Jinping as China’s “great nationalist leader” by using war history to stoke anti-Japanese sentiment and show Xi is standing up to Tokyo:

You can arouse feelings about Japan very easily and this is a way Xi Jinping is attempting to consolidate his hold so that it will be difficult for people to get rid of him.

Although the Chinese commemorations have not been widely reported in Japan, public broadcaster NHK is now showing some of the parade, focusing on the announcement by Xi of a 300,000 reduction in Chinese troops.

For Australian readers wondering who the country’s representative was at the parade today: it was senator Michael Ronaldson, minister for veterans affairs.

Like the UK, which sent former minister Kenneth Clarke, the big names in the Australian government stayed away.

The US did not send a representative.

The clearing of the skies over Beijing is neatly illustrated by this gif from Flightradar.

Now the flights will presumably have to wait for the 70,000 doves and balloons to disperse.

All of a sudden it is over. Thousands of doves and balloons have been released into the air above Tiananmen Square and spectators are being ushered out of the stands.

Putin, Xi and the other dignitaries have stepped back from the balcony, and it’s now a race to get into the shade.

And now balloons. There could well be 70,000 of those too. The doves of peace and multicoloured balloons feel a little jarring after all the missiles, it’s probably fair to say.

This just about sums it up:

Seventy thousand doves have just been released over Tiananmen Square.

Thousands of doves are released during a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war.
Thousands of doves are released during a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war. Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP

Updated

The dress worn today by Peng Liyuan, the wife of Xi Jinping - and herself a famous folk singer - has attracted consumer attention in China, Fergus Ryan reports from Beijing:

Online shoppers can already snap up her parade outfit on e-commerce site Taobao, China’s eBay, according to Forbes writer Liyan Chen.

Chinese netizens went into a frenzy over an overcoat Peng wore on her first trip as first lady in 2013.

But soon after her sartorial flair took over the Chinese internet, skittish censors stepped in to wipe it off the web.

Sina Weibo blocked searches for “Peng Liyuan same item” and “First lady same item” at the time, China Digital Times noted.

In case you were wondering, yes, there are nuclear-capable missiles being paraded through Tiananmen Square …

Now on to the nuclear missiles.

Reassuringly, Chinese media outlets are tweeting details of the military capabilities of the hardware we’ve seen:

So what does the announcement by Xi Jinping of a 300,000 reduction in troops mean?

Song Xiaojun, a military commentator, told my colleague Luna Lin:

It’s a common practice for Chinese leaders to pledge disarmament after big parades … China downsized its army by one million in 1985, after the 1984 parade.

After former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao took power, they also announced disarmament by 500,000 and 200,000.

Though the disarmament announcement is not a new practice, it’s in line with Xi’s pledge of never seeking hegemony.

Now three formations of anti-aircraft missile defence.

CCTV News has a camera lodged in one of the surface-to-air missiles, which gives a rather imposing view.

If the aim is to show that China has a lot of armaments, we believe you. The CCTV News English-language commentary is certainly keen to stress their attacking capabilities.

Updated

Russian president Vladimir Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping and former president Jiang Zemin watch the parade. Xi seems to be enjoying the display. Putin looks quite serious about the tanks.

Chinese president Xi Jinping (C) talks to former president Jiang Zemin (R) next to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin (L) on the Tiananmen Gate.
Chinese president Xi Jinping (C) talks to former president Jiang Zemin (R) next to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin (L) on the Tiananmen Gate. Photograph: Wu Hong/EPA

Nine formations of the ground assault unit are next, on this day when, as Xi told us, peace will prevail.

The tanks are first up.

The blue skies – authorities have placed restrictions on factories and traffic to ensure there was no smog today – are rapidly choking up as the tanks trundle through.

Updated

And here’s a list of all the countries taking part in the march. An interesting roll call:

The 1,000 troops of 17 foreign countries taking part are coming to an end.

They marched in alphabetical order, with Vanuatu and Venezuela bringing up the rear, topped off by 85 soldiers from Russia, who I believe make up the biggest overseas contingent today.

Internet censorship has intensified in the lead-up to today’s parade, my colleague Fergus Ryan reports from Beijing.

Guidelines leaked to the website China Digital Times stress that all “sites must actively promote positive, sunny netizen commentary” about the parade.

“Until September 5, all news and comments related to the military parade must be carefully reviewed before posting to guarantee they are positive and not offensive to the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] or the military parade; that they do not attack the Party, the PRC [People’s Republic of China], or the political system; and do not attack national leaders,” the instructions read.

“Text, video, pictures (etc.) on all websites’ news channels touching on the military parade, military affairs, and historical details must maintain positivity, must not distort Party and national history, must not contain false commentary, and must not contain harmful information.”

According to Free Weibo, a website that captures deleted social media posts, the word “Parade” has featured in many censored messages in recent days.

A post from Weibo user Mao Anlin complaining about the cost of the parade is one post censored this morning:

“I hate to watch the military parade, it’s just like a group of people who have to bear excessive burden of taxation appreciating the powerful who impose such high taxations onto them, it’s really ironic! But I will at least watch the women’s military parade, this is just to remind me that there is still something beautiful in our life.”

Weibo user Wanghailin’s post about the potential for a lack of harmony at the parade was also censored.

“It’s better not to put the The Republic of China Army and the Eighth Route Army together, because i am worried that they will fight each other. I once interviewed a retired soldier who told me that he would never visit Japan or Taiwan. Another retired soldier I interviewed also looked down the ‘losers’ [of the war].”

A Weibo post from the Financial Times linking to the Chinese version of a commentary piece by Gideon Rachman sent out yesterday also caught the eye of Chinese censors. The censors swooped in despite the fact the Chinese version of the article has a watered down title.

In English, the article is titled “Militarism is a risky temptation for Beijing”, but in Chinese, it has been changed to “The biggest threat to China is not the economy”.

Since taking over as party chief in late 2012, Xi Jinping has pushed for more “postive energy” on the internet. And as Quartz notes, a discussion thread supposedly authored by a Communist party member titled “Safeguard the parade with your fingertips” [link in Chinese] has attracted over 120,000,000 views and 310,000 comments.

The author, Qianjunke calls on Chinese netizens to “use their fingers” to show their patriotism – meaning they should send out positive Weibo & WeChat posts related to the parade.

“Here I solemnly appeal to the cyber soldiers: Take your goose-steps, safeguard the parade with your fingertips, and be participants of the cyber parade,” the author writes.

Massed ranks of soldiers continue to pound through Tiananmen Square.

We will also see 17 formations of foreign troops, the first time overseas armed forces have been invited to take part in the victory day march.

So far I’ve spotted forces from Cambodia, Cuba and Egypt.

A gun salute is held during the commemoration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory against Japan.
A gun salute is held during the commemoration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory against Japan. Photograph: Ren Junchuan/Xinhua Press/Corbis

Updated

Female honour guards are now marching. There is still plenty of shouting, although not from the spectators, for whom such behaviour is banned.

This marks the first time that female guards have taken part in a victory day march.

Female soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army march during the military parade.
Female soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army march during the military parade. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters

Updated

“Forge exemplary conduct!”

Veterans of the second world war and other conflicts are now being driven through the square, as the air displays continue.

Parade begins

And now the parade officially starts, in case you thought the gun salutes and troop inspection and patriotic military choir performances were part of it. That was merely the warm-up.

The flyover is under way, with aircraft forming a “70”.

Updated

More than 41,000 people are taking part in the commemorations, around one-third of whom are members of the public, with the large majority from the military.

Chinese soldiers march past Tiananmen Square.
Chinese soldiers march past Tiananmen Square. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Updated

As predicted by defence experts, the DF-21D ballistic missile has made an appearance:

As Xi Jinping zooms past the troops, he shouts:

Hello comrades!

Comrades, you’ve worked hard!

To which they shout in reply:

Hello leader!

We serve the people!

(With thanks to my colleague Luna Lin for translations.)

Updated

My colleague Tom Phillips sends this update from Beijing:

Xi Jinping is now getting pretty close to the Guardian Beijing bureau, which has been shuttered up for the duration of the parade.

We were evicted yesterday afternoon and won’t be allowed back until this afternoon.

Those who live along this street have been told to stay off balconies and away from windows, and to try not to take pictures.

Obviously the government is very worried about Xi’s security, given his anti-corruption campaign and infighting in the Communist party.

My colleague Justin McCurry sends this dispatch from Tokyo, after Xi’s speech made multiple references to “Japanese aggression”:

None of Japan’s terrestrial TV networks, including public broadcaster NHK, are showing the parade live, although Asahi TV is showing brief clips from Beijing, including excerpts from Xi Jinping’s speech.

Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, declined an invitation to attend, believing his presence could lend legitimacy to Beijing’s claims to disputed islands in the East China Sea.

There is also a sense here that Thursday’s show of military strength in Beijing is directed at Japan, as is much of the rhetoric.

On the eve of the parade, Xi referred to the barbaric behaviour of Japanese troops in China before and during the second world war. During a medal ceremony for Chinese veterans, Xi described his country’s Japanese invaders as “fiendish”.

Japan officials, who have yet to comment on the parade, are unlikely to be impressed by Xi’s contention in Beijing today that China’s victory over Japan established the former as a “major country”.

Amid accusations that Japan has failed to atone for its wartime conduct in China, some here point to the huge amounts of postwar aid Japan has extended to China, a major trading partner.

There were more reassuring words for Tokyo from Barack Obama, who last night described the US-Japan alliance as a “model of reconciliation”.

The US secretary of state, John Kerry, said of the bilateral relationship: “Our enduring partnership testifies to the power of reconciliation and draws strength from a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.”

Updated

Xi motors past the massed ranks of soldiers, who all shout their support, despite, I suppose, a good number of them potentially facing redundancy with the president’s announcement that troop numbers are to be cut by 300,000.

President Xi Jinping is now being driven atop an official car into the square to inspect the army. This could take a while as there are a lot of them.

The pace-setters get into position first. Peace might prevail, but first China wants to show us its guns, soldiers, tanks and missiles.

Peace will prevail and the people will prevail, Xi concludes, with some vigour.

And the speech is over and we’re on to the troops parade.

Updated

China to cut troops by 300,000

China will cut the number of its troops by 300,000, Xi announces, to applause.

The world is still far from tranquil, Xi says.

He says the world needs to foster a sense of global community and mutual respect (and prosperity).

He talks about the need to uphold the values of the UN charter.

China will remain committed to peaceful development. We Chinese love peace.

China will never seek hegemony or expansion. It will never inflict its past suffering on any other nation.

Xi: The aim of our commemoration … is to bear history in mind, honour all those who laid down their lives, cherish peace and open up the future.

That war inflicted over 100 million military and civilian casualties. China suffered over 35 million casualties and the Soviet Union lost over 27 million lives.

War is like a mirror. Looking at it helps us better understand the value of peace.

Xi: This remarkable feat by the Chinese people was rare in the history of war.

This great triumph … put an end to China’s national humiliation … re-established China as a major country in the world.

With huge national sacrifice, the Chinese people held ground.

But there appear to be sound problems for spectators in the square:

Xi: Today is a day that is worth being remembered by people around the world.

I send heartfelt gratitude to foreign governments that assisted the Chinese people in resisting aggression.

He calls the war “a decisive battle between light and darkness”.

He says the Chinese war against “Japanese aggression” was the longest.

He says in the end the Chinese won “total victory”.

President Xi Jinping is speaking now.

He starts by thanking those taking part in the parade.

Seventy years ago today, the Chinese people … won a great victory against Japanese aggression, marking the world victory in the anti-fascist war.

The national flag is going up, the national anthem is going on.

There are already a lot of soldiers in the square.

The BBC’s Beijing bureau chief offers this assessment:

Updated

Military manoeuvres in Tiananmen Square can’t help but evoke memories of 1989:

Tony Blair in attendance

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair is, as reports suggested, at the parade.

Here he is, with apologies for the rather blurry screen grab from China’s CCTV:

Tony Blair at China’s victory day parade.
Tony Blair at China’s victory day parade. Photograph: screengrab/CCTV News

We’re currently hearing a 70-gun salute.

Updated

It’s a public holiday in China today, to mark the 70th anniversary of the second world war victory, and tens of millions of Chinese are watching live coverage of the V-day military parade.

The topic “live coverage of V-day” has become the number one trending topic on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, with millions of searches.

The leaders and dignitaries, headed by Xi and Putin, are taking their seats now.

There is an awful lot of flag-waving going on around them. Many spectators are wearing yellow hats – the caps, emblazoned with a “70”, have been doled out as part of the commemorations to those in the square.

All soldiers taking part in the parade have received order to reduce the frequency with which they blink, according to a report in the Beijing Times.
China’s “King of Staring” is reportedly a navy officer who is able to stare without blinking for an incredible 57 minutes and 24 seconds.

(Let’s not skim over that “reportedly”.)

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is not in attendance, but he has sent representative Choe Ryong-hae, reports Fergus Ryan in Beijing.

Choe is said to be a close aide to the North Korean leader, who snubbed China’s invitation. North Korea has been described as being “as close as lips and teeth” with China in the past, but in recent years the relationship has become somewhat strained.

South Korean president Park Geun-hye is in attendance today.

The military band and choir are now opening the commemorations in the square. Currently they’re performing Defend The Yellow River, a 1939 patriotic song.

We’re expecting a speech from president Xi Jinping shortly afterwards.

As much a show of military might as a commemoration of the 1945 victory, China is expected to roll out a huge array of hardware today. We spoke to military experts about what we might see, and what it might mean:

James Hardy, Asia-Pacific editor of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly

Hardy said the parade was about using military power to send a message about “China’s strength and invulnerability” both at home and abroad.

“In that sense it is no different to previous parades – the most recent similar one was in 2009 – but of course the context is different. The US and China are engaged in fairly overt strategic competition in the As-Pac region at the moment, and Chinese power projection via this or other military equipment is not playing too well with its neighbours.”

Hardy expects to see new Chinese missile systems paraded through Tiananmen. “Our interest was piqued in rehearsals by the various missile systems that are being rolled out,” he said.

“China has invested heavily in missile systems for some years now. It has a range of ballistic and cruise missiles that would seriously complicate any US response to a Taiwan invasion scenario or a crisis around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

“That much has been known for quite a while. What this parade does is put it all in one place and confirm Chinese internet-sourced imagery that has been the basis for most open source analysis in recent years.”

If the parade features the same hardware as the recent rehearsal, Hardy thinks we will see the first public showings of weapons including the Dong Feng (DF, East Wind) DF-15B short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), DF-16 medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), DF-21C MRBM, DF-26 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM), the warhead section of the DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the DF-31A ICBM, and the DF-10 land attack cruise missile (LACM).

“The big things that are missing from this parade – what with it being in Beijing – are China’s major advances in naval equipment. That’s where China is really changing the balance of power in Asia. In that context, the anti-ship missiles on display are of most interest, but another platform to look out for is the J-15 carrier-based fighter. That is based on Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, and a group of them will be doing a fly-by.”

China’s “relative” openness – compared to North Korea – and the use of satellite imagery analysis and online sources means there are unlikely to be big surprises for defence analysts.

People’s Liberation Army soldiers arrive at Tiananmen Square for the military parade.
People’s Liberation Army soldiers arrive at Tiananmen Square for the military parade. Photograph: Imaginechina/Splash News/Corbis

Ashley Townshend, research fellow at University of Sydney Alliance 21 Program

Townshend says he will be looking out for China’s “carrier killer”. That is the nickname of the DF-21D missile system, which may get its first public outing.

“The DF-21D has great symbolic significance as the missile that, perhaps more than any other single weapons system, will potentially enable Beijing to prevent the United States navy from operating close to Chinese shores at acceptable levels of cost and risk,” says Townshend.

“China has created and tested the DF-21D as an anti-ship ballistic missile which many believe might be capable to successfully striking an American aircraft carrier from a very great distance. As a signal to the Chinese people of how far China’s military modernisation has progressed, the DF-21D has enormous symbolic value. Its inclusion in the parade could also be read as a signal to the US and its regional allies and partners of China’s formidable capacity to target, and therefore hopefully, deter other countries’ warships in a crisis.

“Of course, we do not know exactly how this missile will operate in a crisis situation. While American defence officials believe it has reached something close to an initial operating level, it is far from certain that China’s ‘carrier killer’ will be able to circumvent the multiple defence systems ingrained in a carrier battle-group. Nevertheless, it has certainly got American defence planners worried enough to seek new and high-tech ways to defend US warships against this potentially game-changing threat.”

Townshend is also not expecting any big military secrets to slip out though. “The inclusion of sophisticated new military hardware – in particular ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft – should not be viewed as an exercise in PLA transparency. All of what will be on display is likely to already be known to foreign intelligence agencies. China will not be revealing any of its secrets.”

My colleague Tom Phillips is awaiting the start of the commemorations:

I’m sat in one of two press areas on the north side of Tiananmen Square just next to the portrait of Mao and just a few metres off the main parade concourse. It’s already 24 degrees, blazing sunshine and the journalists and army veterans sat on this side of the square are melting.

Umbrellas are banned (possibly because of concerns someone might try and stage a mini-protest in tribute to Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution?) but we have been given raincoats. We’ve been given one bottle of water each and a yellow cap commemorating the end of the war.

The main item in the swag bag is a bright red Chinese flag which foreign correspondents may or may not wave as the troops go by.

And here are the rules for spectators in the square (not all that unreasonable, to be honest):

Russian president – and the last dignitary in this line-up – Vladimir Putin strides in. Russian troops will take part in the parade shortly.

That marks the end of the foreign dignitaries meet-and-greet. Attention will now shift to Tiananmen Square.

Updated

Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain has arrived; Pakistani forces will be taking part in the parade later.

Arguably the most controversial guest, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, is also here. Bashir is the only serving head of state to have been indicted by the international criminal court for mass atrocities. Today he will rub shoulders with numerous world leaders and the head of the United Nations.

Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has just been introduced. He recently oversaw a huge crackdown on press freedom and dissent in Egypt.

The overseas dignitaries are now taking part in a mini-parade of their own as they each step up to meet president Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and his wife Yoo Soon-taek have arrived.

Ban has been forced to defend his attendance at the parade, saying earlier this week:

China’s contribution and sacrifice during the second world war is very much recognised, [and China] is appreciated for all such sufferings, and sympathised [with] by the world’s people.

It is important to look to the past, what kinds of lessons we have been learning, and how we can move ahead to a brighter future based on the lessons learned. That is the main purpose.

Kenneth Clarke, a British MP and former chancellor of the exchequer who is here as the “special envoy” of the prime minister, David Cameron, is also here. These images are all being beamed into Tiananmen Square, where my colleague Tom Phillips reports very little recognition for the UK visitor.

Kenneth Clarke, the British prime minister’s special envoy, meets with the Chinese president Xi Jinping.

Updated

My colleague Fergus Ryan reports from Beijing:

Today’s massive parade is a made-for-TV event and nothing has been left to chance. Many businesses and roads have been shut down for the event. For the roads that are still open, around half of the cities’ vehicles are allowed on them.

And the military has even deployed falcons and monkeys to prevent birds from getting in the way of the jets flying overhead.

One of the principal aims of this, the largest military parade in modern Chinese history, is to redress the imbalance China sees in second world war narratives. China’s role in defeating Japan, in particular, has been underplayed, the argument goes.

At a medal ceremony for war veterans on Wednesday, president Xi Jinping used unusually strong language to describe the Japanese invaders, calling them “fiendish”.

“The Japanese militarist invaders were extremely bloody and cruel, who treated the Chinese people with unprecedented brutality, and tried to use massacres and death to get the Chinese people to yield,” Xi said, according to Xinhua news agency.

“In the face of the butchers’ knives of the invaders, the Chinese people used their flesh and blood to build a new Great Wall,” he added.

The anti-Japanese sentiment is precisely why many major leaders, including from from the UK, US, Australia and Japan, have shunned the event. Many western countries are reluctant to buy into Asia’s “history wars”.

Despite the rhetoric, China maintains that the parade is not aimed at today’s Japan, but to remember the past and hope for peace.

In Wednesday’s China Military Online, People’s Liberation army General Liu Yazhou said of Japan: “A nation accustomed to concealing history and rejecting the truth … has no hope.”

But as Beijing-based lawyer William Farris points out in his blog Fei Chang Dao, forum topics online on Baidu for “the Cultural Revolution,” (文革) “The Great Leap Forward,” (大跃进) and “Tiananmen” (天安门) are banned.

Farris quotes a Global Times editorial entitled “Japan Must Face up to Verdict of History” by Sha Zukang, former UN under-secretary-general for Economic and Social Affairs: “A great country and nation has the courage to face up to its history. To forget history is to betray, and to deny a crime is to repeat it. Only by taking history as a mirror can Japan look into the future. Otherwise, its future will be like a tree without roots, which cannot last long.”

Those who believe today’s parade has more to do with China wanting to display its current strength and rather less to do with the events of 1945 might find this interesting: more than 500 pieces of new military equipment are due to be showcased this morning.

My colleague Luna Lin reports from Beijing:

Foreign dignitaries are arriving at the Forbidden City and they will soon meet president Xi Jinping and his wife.

You can read more about the foreign leaders and dignitaries who are expected to show up – including some perhaps unexpected names – here:

The Guardian’s Tom Phillips is stationed in Tiananmen Square, along with a horde of journalists.

But most Beijing residents will not be given the opportunity to see the parade as it passes through their city.

As Associated Press reports:

Residents who live along the parade route have received notices ordering them to stay off balconies, keep windows shut, invite no guests and – at some buildings – snap no pictures.

“I am eager to watch the parade, but I understand it’s impossible for everyone to have the chance to see it,” said a Beijing lawyer who identified himself only by his surname, Yao. “I think watching the live broadcast will be a good alternative.”

The neighborhoods around Tiananmen Square will be under curfew, and Beijing has mobilised 850,000 neighbourhood watchers to report anything even slightly out of the ordinary.

City roads will be closed, public bus service suspended and many subway stops sealed, while cordon tape will keep members of the public away from the parade. Authorities also are shutting down office buildings, shops, restaurants and even hospitals along the route for at least 24 hours. Some buildings are staying shut for three days.

China has been working very hard to quash negative views about today’s commemorations but there are, of course, many who say the parade serves as propaganda for the regime.

Luna Lin, in the Guardian’s Beijing bureau, has been talking to Zhang Lifan, a Chinese historian known for his outspoken criticism of the government. His reading of the parade is typically blunt.

“The parade is to serve political needs,” Zhang says. “Xi Jinping needs to consolidate his power and to take control of the army after ousting senior military figures” in his anti-corruption drive.

Zhang believes China’s president “wants to establish the image of being the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The parade is a good way of demonstrating his power and further strengthening his control of the army.”
“He also wants to fan nationalistic sentiment among the public … which is a common practice among authoritarian states.”

The parade is partly designed to flex “China’s muscles” on the international stage, Zhang adds. “But the most important of the parade is to consolidate Xi’s political status and leadership.”

Parade schedule

Last-minute rehearsals have been going on since dawn in Tiananmen Square, overseen by journalists who were instructed to be in position several hours before the commemorations begin.

  • The parade itself will begin at 10am (12 noon AEST/2am GMT/10pm EDT).
  • Shortly before this, president Xi Jinping is scheduled to deliver a speech. As my colleague Tom Phillips reports:

Xi is likely to talk about world peace, China’s sacrifices during the second world war and what he calls ‘the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’. His message will be simple: I’m in charge.

  • After Xi’s speech about 12,000 troops will process from east to west down Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue – the Avenue of Eternal Peace – passing through Tiananmen Square and the entrance to the Forbidden City, where leaders including Vladimir Putin will be watching from the podiums.
  • There will be a strong musical element to the parade with about 1,000 choristers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) taking part. Their repertoire will feature Chinese military classics including The People’s Army is Loyal to the Party.
Members of military choir stand in formation at the Tiananmen Square ahead of the military parade.
Members of military choir stand in formation at the Tiananmen Square ahead of the military parade. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters
  • The entire display is expected to last around 70 minutes. Xi – who is also the head of China’s Central Military Commission – will inspect the troops after the parade is over.
  • There will then be a lunchtime reception event for foreign guests and Communist party leaders over the road at the Great Hall of the People. Those who may be in attendance are former UK chancellor of the exchequer Kenneth Clarke, who is the Britain’s official representative, and Tony Blair, who is apparently attending in a private capacity.
  • In the evening there will be a gala at the same venue. A limited number of foreign journalists have been invited to watch the parade, but not to the events in the Great Hall of the People.

Summary

China will today host a huge military parade in central Beijing to mark 70 years since victory over Japan in the second world war.

Troops and missiles will be paraded through Tiananmen Square. Some 12,000 soldiers will take part – most Chinese, but accompanied by contingents from Russia and other nations.

In attendance will be Chinese president Xi Jinping, Russian president Vladimir Putin and leaders of several other nations, including South Korean president Park Geun-hye, Pakistan’s president Mamnoon Hussain and Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes by the international criminal court.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair is also expected to show up, along with UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe will not attend.

The People’s Liberation Army media centre, Beijing.
The People’s Liberation Army media centre, Beijing. Photograph: Tom Phillips for the Guardian

I’ll be live blogging the parade, taking in the preparations, the precautions and the protests.

My colleague Tom Phillips is in Tiananmen Square and you can follow his updates via this live blog and on Twitter @tomphillipsin.

I’ll also post key updates on Twitter @Claire_Phipps.

Do chat with me there or post your comments below.

Updated

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