Misleading information regarding military parade, reminder of facts

Kathmandu : A grand military parade is set to take place this coming Tuesday at Tiananmen Square, located in the heart of Beijing, the capital of China. The event is being held to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the global fight against fascism during World War II (1939–1945). It is reported that this will be China’s largest military parade to date. Various units of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army – including naval, ground, and air forces – will participate in the parade.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a special address at the ceremony, which will be attended by heads of state and government leaders from across the world, including the Presidents of Russia and North Korea, the Prime Ministers of Nepal and India, among others. From Nepal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to observe the military parade at 8 am on Tuesday morning. However, negative comments have begun to arise regarding Nepal’s participation in the program.

China is not only a friendly neighbor of Nepal but also a major development partner. The two countries share a long border and have maintained deep historical relations. Both nations have remained sensitive to each other’s independence and sovereignty. However, citing that the Chinese military parade is directed against Japan, various arguments have been raised questioning Nepal’s participation. It has also been mentioned in the narrative of “compelled opposition” that Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel declined an invitation to attend the event.

It should be recalled that initially, preparations were underway for President Paudel to attend the event on behalf of Nepal. The President’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already started preparing for the visit. However, in the final hour, the President expressed disinterest, and hence Prime Minister Oli is now set to attend the program. According to reports, advisors at the President’s Office provided “strategic advice” suggesting that attending the Chinese military parade could hurt Japanese sentiments, which led to the President pulling out.

However, contrary to rumors, the Chinese parade is not a military exercise targeting Japan. According to China, the event is purely commemorative in nature. Diplomats have termed the argument that Japanese sentiments would be hurt by attending such an event – which involves no military alliance – as “laughable.” They argue that a sovereign nation’s prime minister visiting another sovereign, neighboring country should not be cause for suspicion by a third party.

Critics have not answered the question: If attending the Chinese military parade is seen as hurting Japanese sentiments, what should the countries that suffered Japanese aggression during the war think? During World War II, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, killing many Americans. Japan also attacked Russia, Britain, and France. It is historically documented that during the war, Japan forced hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Korean women into sexual slavery. If China chooses to commemorate its victory in a war of resistance, is it justifiable to object? Shouldn’t there also be discourse about the millions of victims of Japanese imperialism?

In fact, the United States was on the opposing side of Japan during the war. Japan only ceased hostilities after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ironically, today, Japan is a key strategic military partner of the United States. In that context, should China and the U.S. now form a united military strategy?

Among over 200 countries and regions in the world, only 26 nations are participating in the parade. Does this mean the rest are all pro-Japan or anti-China? That conclusion would be unreasonable.

The participation of Prime Minister Oli in the military parade is being unfairly criticized. Many argue that Japan is a major development partner of Nepal and, therefore, should not be antagonized. However, is it fair to forget the fact that China, too, is a reliable economic partner of Nepal? Should Nepal’s sovereignty and independent foreign policy be compromised in the name of preserving Japanese aid?

Looking at neighboring countries, India celebrates its Independence Day every year with military parades, inviting international participants. On the occasion of its liberation from British colonial rule, India holds grand parades on Independence Day and Republic Day. The late King Birendra of Nepal had attended some of these events. Should Nepal then be labeled anti-British for attending India’s national celebrations?

Meanwhile, it is evident that there has been a coordinated effort across some European and Asian countries to spread negative propaganda against the Chinese event. Reports highlight that Japanese embassies in various countries have been actively lobbying diplomatically against China. However, the Japanese Embassy in Nepal has not issued any official statement on the matter so far.

What is a ‘Military Parade’ ?

A 14-year-long war between China and Japan lasted from September 18, 1931, to 1945. It is estimated that more than 35 million Chinese citizens were killed during this nearly decade-and-a-half conflict, which ended with Japan’s surrender. This number represents nearly one-third of all deaths in World War II.

With the victory in the war of resistance, the Chinese revolution took a historic turn. Having faced deep economic, social, and political crises, China embarked on a path of national rejuvenation following the war. Today, China stands as a global superpower with the world’s second-largest economy.

Thus, China views this war as a historic struggle against Japanese imperialism. To honor the sacrifices made in this difficult war and to remember the victory, China has been organizing various commemorative events. The upcoming military parade is a continuation of that effort. A similar parade was also held in 2015. China has repeatedly clarified that the event is meant to send a message of peace to the international community, and the heads of friendly nations have been invited to join in.

Among over 200 countries and regions in the world, only 26 nations are participating in the event. Can it be inferred that the rest are all pro-Japan or anti-China?

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