China to stage massive military parade marking WW2 surrender of Japan
Hundreds of aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers as well as ground equipment, some of which have never been seen in public before, will be featured in the parade, military officials said at a press conference.
The Sep 3 parade, the second such procession since 2015 to observe the formal surrender of Japanese forces in 1945, will be a show of China's military strength as some of its neighbours and Western nations look on with concern over the projection of power by the People's Liberation Army in recent years.
From trucks fitted with devices to take out drones, new tanks and early warning aircraft to protect China's aircraft carriers, military attaches and security analysts say they are expecting China to display a host of new weapons and equipment at the parade.
Additions to its expanding suite of missiles, particularly anti-ship versions and weapons with hypersonic capabilities, will be particularly closely watched as the United States and its allies prepare to counter China in any future regional conflict.
"(The weapons and equipment) will fully demonstrate our military's robust ability to adapt to technological advancements, evolving warfare patterns, and win future wars," Wu Zeke, deputy director of the military parade, told reporters.
The 70-minute-long "Victory Day" parade, comprising 45 contingents of troops, will be surveyed by President Xi Jinping at Tiananmen Square alongside a number of foreign leaders and dignitaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also attended the 2015 parade.
At the last World War Two parade, more than 12,000 soldiers, including diverse contingents from Russia and Belarus to Mongolia and Cambodia, marched through the city alongside veterans. Beijing had also mobilised over 500 pieces of military equipment and 200 aircraft.
Many Western leaders had shunned the 2015 event, wary of the message that China would send with its exhibition of military might. Then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declined to attend.
Foreign attendees at the time included former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Authorities have stepped up security in downtown Beijing since the first rehearsals this month, setting up checkpoints, diverting road traffic and shutting shopping malls and office buildings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
About 100 young Chinese community leaders to be identified, nurtured over next 5 years through new programme
SINGAPORE: Amid worries about succession in Chinese community organisations, these groups will work with the government to identify and nurture the next generation of community leaders. Over the next five years, the new Chinese Community Leadership Course will aim to identify and develop about 100 young leaders in their 30s and 40s, the government's Chinese Community Liaison Group (CCLG) said on Wednesday (Aug 20). The programme will be developed by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) with the support of the government, which will fund it. "This course is envisioned to be the pinnacle training programme for younger leaders in the Chinese community," said CCLG chair Chee Hong Tat, who is also National Development Minister. The launch of the new training programme was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally last Sunday. Providing more details on Wednesday, CCLG said the programme was meant for "promising community leaders in their 30s and 40s who are active in the Chinese community and have demonstrated a passion to serve". "It seeks to deepen their understanding of the strategic issues facing Singapore, and hone their ability to effectively lead community organisations," said CCLG in a press statement. "The course will also help promising leaders grow their networks within the community, foster greater collaboration and deepen understanding of the Singapore Chinese identity and culture." The programme will include modules on strategic and organisational leadership, networking opportunities and dialogues with political office holders and senior community leaders, and will also provide insights into government policies. It will be conducted annually, with a first run to start by the middle of 2026. Attendees will be nominated by Chinese community groups, with nominations opening later in 2025. Mr Chee told reporters: "The programme will expose them to different aspects of leadership development, including understanding Singapore's societal context; the changes that are now happening around the world in terms of geopolitics; what is the important role that the Chinese community can continue to play in developing a cohesive and united society, both within the Chinese community, but also with other ethnic groups in Singapore." It will also address how to improve the integration of new immigrants, said Mr Chee. He previously identified this as a priority area for the CCLG. The CCLG was set up in 2000 to foster government-community ties. Since taking over as its chair in May, Mr Chee said he had been engaging with different clan associations and Chinese community groups. The minister noted that younger members in these groups come from different backgrounds, with some who were born and grew up in Singapore and some new immigrants. "But what is common from what I see in my interactions with all of them is the passion to serve the community and to give back to society," he said. It will be up to clan associations and community groups to nominate participants for the programme, because they are clearer on the potential, willingness to serve, values and leadership abilities of their members, said Mr Chee. Nominees will go through a selection process. He added that 100 is not a "magic number", but a "stretch goal" that gives "sufficient diversity and options to be able to see who are the more suitable ones later". Another area where the government will work closely with SFCCA is in helping clan associations to transform and modernise their operations, said Mr Chee. Some smaller clan associations "may not have sufficient economies of scale" to make use of digital solutions on their own, he said. The government will therefore work with SFCCA to develop a suite of shared digital services that clan associations can tap on. These could cover areas like human resources, finance, membership and volunteer management, event management and publicity, he said. The government will provide some funding support to help SFCCA develop the shared services and co-fund clan associations to adopt the digital solutions. This will in turn allow clan associations to focus on areas that rely less on technology, like engaging members and designing programmes to bring in younger members, he said.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
India celebrates clean energy milestone but coal still king
NEW DELHI: Non-fossil fuels now account for half of India's installed energy capacity - years ahead of schedule - but the third-largest greenhouse gas polluter remains deeply reliant on coal for electricity generation. "A landmark in India's energy transition journey," Minister of Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi proclaimed after the world's most populous nation released figures in July. "Five years early," he added, referring to India's 2030 target under the Paris Agreement, and marking a step to the country's stated goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2070. But while the 50 per cent milestone is significant, climate expert Avantika Goswami says the figures - which refer only to potential energy production - tell just part of the story. "Overall, actual generation from renewable sources is still quite low," Goswami told AFP from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The reason is stark: nearly three-quarters of electricity continues to come from heavily polluting coal-burning power plants. COAL PARADOX The challenge becomes even more apparent when examining India's continued dependence on coal. Far from decreasing its usage, the globe's second-largest consumer of coal pushed up production of the dirty fossil fuel by five per cent last year, mining one billion tonnes, according to the coal ministry. "Coal remains crucial," the ministry said. The stance highlights the practical challenges of India's energy transition. Coal is needed to fulfil power demands while storage capacity lags behind the surge in renewable sources of power. "The coal sector remains a crucial contributor to India's energy mix, powering over 74 per cent of the country's electricity and sustaining key industries like steel and cement," the coal ministry said, celebrating what it dubbed "India's coal boom". This reliance places India in a challenging position globally. The country ranks behind only China and the United States for carbon emissions overall. But analysts point out that in a country of 1.4 billion people, per capita emissions are only one-third of the global average, according to official figures. "Looking at India's per capita emissions, the effort it is making, India is doing pretty well," said activist Harjeet Singh, head of the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. India has set itself the daunting challenge of reducing emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. At the same time, electricity needs are expected to more than double by 2047, according to the country's Center for Science and Environment. Supplying some of that demand "is likely to be met by the addition of renewables", Goswami said. "WASTE THAT ENERGY" Half of India's 484.8 GW installed capacity is from non-fossil fuel sources. The majority comes from solar, totalling 119 GW - the third-largest level globally. India is building one of the world's largest solar and wind energy farms, spread over a desert the size of Singapore. It is followed by hydro and wind, and also nuclear power - which makes up less than two per cent of the total mix. But solar and wind create steady power only when the conditions are right, and India's storage capacity is a meagre 505 MWh - far lower than it can generate. The storage bottleneck was not lost on the renewable energy minister. Speaking at the inauguration of a battery storage systems plant in June, Joshi said India's renewable energy potential was "growing fast" and "adding 25-30 GW every year". He added: "But without storage, we will either waste that energy or fall back on coal when renewables dip." Building storage based on batteries requires rare earth metals, with rival and neighbour China controlling 70 per cent of the world's supplies. "We still remain dependent on China," said Harjeet Singh, the climate activist. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in New Delhi for talks on Tuesday, with the supply of rare earth metals on the agenda. One solution India is considering is pump-hydro energy storage projects. When wind and solar plants produce excess energy, water is pumped into high reservoirs. That stored energy can then be released to generate power when demand surges. But Goswami believes the transition to cleaner power requires a multi-pronged approach.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
China to show off massive troops, high-tech weapons at WWII parade
BEIJING: China will stage a massive military parade next month in the heart of Beijing to commemorate 80 years since the end of World War II, following the surrender of Japan, mobilising tens of thousands of people and showcasing never-before-seen weapons. Hundreds of aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers as well as ground equipment, some of which have never been seen in public before, will be featured in the parade, military officials said at a press conference on Wednesday (Aug 20). The parade, the second such procession since 2015 to observe the formal surrender of Japanese forces in September 1945, will be a show of China's military strength as some of its neighbours and Western nations look on with concern over the projection of power by the People's Liberation Army in recent years. From trucks fitted with devices to take out drones, new tanks and early warning aircraft to protect China's aircraft carriers, military attaches and security analysts say they are anticipating a host of new weapons and equipment at the parade. Additions to its expanding suite of missiles, particularly anti-ship versions and weapons with hypersonic capabilities, will be particularly closely watched as the United States and its allies prepare to counter China in any future regional conflict. "(The weapons and equipment) will fully demonstrate our military's robust ability to adapt to technological advancements, evolving warfare patterns, and win future wars," Wu Zeke, deputy director of the military parade, told reporters. New armaments due to debut at the parade will account for a significant share of those on display, according to the military officials. The exact number of troops, weapons and equipment to be shown was not disclosed. "VICTORY DAY" The roughly 70-minute-long "Victory Day" parade on Sept 3, comprising 45 formations of troops, will be surveyed by President Xi Jinping at Tiananmen Square alongside a number of foreign leaders and dignitaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also attended the 2015 parade. At the last World War II parade, more than 12,000 soldiers, including diverse contingents from Russia and Belarus to Mongolia and Cambodia, marched through the city alongside veterans. Beijing had also mobilised over 500 pieces of military equipment and 200 aircraft. Many Western leaders had shunned the 2015 event, wary of the message that China would send with its exhibition of military might. Then, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declined to attend. Foreign attendees at the time included former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. No information on participating foreign troops or the attendance of foreign leaders was disclosed at the press conference. Authorities have stepped up security in downtown Beijing since the first rehearsals this month, setting up checkpoints, diverting road traffic and shutting shopping malls and office buildings. Beijing has so far conducted two large-scale rehearsals on the weekends of Aug 9-10 and 16-17, attended by 22,000 and 40,000 people involving troops, police and spectators. Preparations for the parade are basically completed, officials said on Wednesday.
