China’s parade tomorrow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II would be the country’s largest to date, and is aimed at flexing its military might, a Taiwanese official said.
China is expected to showcase new strategic weapons at the parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to mark the anniversary of what it calls its victory in the “War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” the national security official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The massive display is aimed at boosting China’s regional and global influence, consolidating ties with authoritarian states, rewriting the historical narrative of World War II, and easing internal and external political pressure, they said.
Photo: Reuters
Beijing is believed to have spent more than 36 billion yuan (US$5.05 billion) on the event, which would showcase Dongfeng-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles, Julang-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and Dongfeng-17 hypersonic missiles in an apparent show of force aimed at the US, they said.
The KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft is also expected to make its debut at the parade, they added.
Troops have been rehearsing for the parade, expected to be one of the largest in years, since March in Yangfang, a “parade village” outside Beijing, they said.
China ordered nearby factories to be shut down for the month leading up to the parade to ensure clear skies, while on the day of the parade, commercial activities, tourism and food-delivery services would also likely be suspended, the official said.
The parade would comprise of three parts: a march showcasing the military’s reorganized structure, which would also involve troops from countries such as Russia and Belarus; a procession of advanced domestically developed weapons; and an aerial display featuring combat and support aircraft, with the KJ-600 likely appearing for the first time, they said.
The firepower segment would prominently showcase long-range and intercontinental missiles, underscoring China’s nuclear deterrence capabilities, they said.
The parade is to be the costliest to date, with training expenses alone totaling 800 million yuan, while fuel and maintenance for the 45 ground and air formations would cost 200 million yuan, they said.
The largest single expense for the event would be security, with about 4.6 billion yuan spent on police and security forces across Beijing, the official said.
Temporary factory closures lasting two to four weeks would require subsidies of about 29 billion yuan, while lost ticket revenue and suspended commercial activity would cost about 1.1 billion yuan, they added.
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