"Humanity is again faced with a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games." -- President Xi Jinping speech at China military parade to celebrate victory over Japanese aggression and the end of World War 2
As United States President Donald Trump seethed over not being invited to join the galaxy of world leaders attending China's celebration of victory over Japanese militarism and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, Western media outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian and Sky News have gone to town to describe the event as a "parade of autocrats" and "an autocrats alliance" in an effort to denigrate it by drawing attention to the attendance of leaders from nations criticised as having authoritarian and non-democratic governments.
In fact, attendees included representatives from Western countries although the top-tier of international attendance was overwhelmingly non-Western. By engaging in simplistic attempts to smear and condemn leaders of nations with political systems different to that of badly frayed Western political systems whose expiry dates in foreign policy are seen by many as long overdue, proponents of the western dominated global order are doing their domestic audiences and politicians a disservice.
The reality of the high level attendance at China's parade and the earlier Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting cannot be denied or made clearer than what was showcased in the parade event.
Firstly, the presence of leaders from countries - some of them are under Western sanctions with many in direct opposition to U.S. foreign policy - serves as irrefutable evidence of the growing alignment of these nations and their commitment and push to create a new global order that is against Western dominance and hegemony.
Secondly, although the parade was officially held to commemorate the end of World War 2, it was an event to honor China's role in the war that has largely gone missing or is given little recognition in the western dominated war historiography. It was also to spotlight Russia's key position in international relations and any future war.
Thirdly, the core geopolitical message that the event sent was about the major advancement in China's military strength and also of China's ability to contribute to peace and stability in the world. There are several components of this message.
The parade showcased some of China's latest military hardware, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (e.g., DF-41), stealth aircraft (e.g., J-20), and other advanced systems. This signals the country's progress in military modernization and its capacity to compete with global powers like the U.S. and Russia.
No longer a copycat, the display of indigenous technology emphasizes Chinese reduced reliance on foreign imports and its achievements in military innovation. This is a strong signal of self-reliance and technological sovereignty. Together with China's unrivalled high speed capability in manufacturing practically any weaponry, (over capacity charge?) what it means is that China is far from being a walkover in any war. Most analysts are convinced that Chinese resilience and national character are likely to prevail against any enemy in any war.
Besides military strength, signalled also are the ruling Communist Party's legitimacy and its achievements. The diplomatic as well as larger public world message on these was unambiguous. The display of patriotism and advanced weaponry was to serve as a deterrent to potential adversaries by demonstrating China's capability to defend its interests and project power internally and globally.
Parades are a form of soft power. Marking the end of the event, the images of 80,000 doves and 80,000 balloons soaring into the Beijing sky was intended to leave an indelible impression of unity, the pursuit of peace and a picture of China, whilst a rising global power, committed to it.
The aim to reassure allies and non allies can be regarded as successfully accomplished. This is evident in the response of ordinary social media viewers and readers from around the world that is starkly different from the ideologically biased messaging of the hacks of western media. There is little doubt that together the pro and anti China media coverage and propaganda has ensured that the parade's messaging of China's power and international relations status has reached a sizable global audience. This will shape not only global perceptions of China's military and political achievements and goals but also the new world order that western media has condemned as inferior to the one in which the U.S. and West are the dominant players.
Perhaps the most important message that should emerge from any analysis of the parade should come from a reading of the speech made by President Xi to the attendees and viewers around the world livestreaming the event, as well as to the audience visiting the parade on the internet in the future.
In his speech, Xi emphasised that "Humanity is again faced with a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games."
His choice for China:
"The Chinese people firmly stand on the right side of history and the progress of human civilization. We will remain committed to the path of peaceful development, and join hands with all peoples around the world in building a community with a shared future for humanity."
What deserves scrutiny is not the Mao-like suit worn by Xi or the snatches of conversation between Putin and Xi on longevity that were overheard and are now sensationalized by western media. It should be about how the west should work with China and the global South to build world peace, contribute to global development, and become a useful participant in the new international order.