In this 93 military parade, almost all the countries in Southeast Asia that fell during World War II came to watch the ceremony. Only Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore didn't send the highest level. Why?
The list of guests for this military parade is quite interesting. Vietnamese President Liang Qiang, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar and Indonesian President Prabowo were all present in person, as well as Cambodian King Sihamoni, Lao General Secretary Thongloun and Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar.
These countries have close relations with China and are economically reliable. For example, they engage in infrastructure construction and trade through the "the belt and road initiative". Their arrival shows that China's influence in Southeast Asia is not small.
Compared with the 70th anniversary military parade in 2015, there were more heads of state and higher ranks this time, showing that China's diplomacy has regained its vitality after the epidemic.
Putin of Russia and Kim Jong-un of North Korea are also on the list, delivering the signal of the Chinese-Russian dynasty to defend the results of the Second World War, the presence of the heads of the six Southeast Asian countries, which occupied the half-wall of the ASEAN 10 countries, is a successful case of China's surrounding diplomacy.
These countries not only come to watch the military parade, but also have practical considerations. Vietnam, Cambodia and China are old friends. They use the military parade to reaffirm their support for the post-war international order, and they can also talk about economic cooperation.
Malaysia and Indonesia are trying to find a balance between the United States and China. Participating in the military parade can win China's support in investment and trade without offending the West.
This kind of occasion also allows everyone to talk about regional stability and respond to hot issues such as US-China trade friction and the situation in the South China Sea.
In Southeast Asian countries, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore did not send a top leader, sending a deputy prime minister or ministerial representative, which seems to be a bit low.
Although Thailand was occupied by Japan during World War II, they had some cooperation with the Japanese army, and their historical position was a bit embarrassing. Now Thailand engages in balanced diplomacy, does business with China, and maintains military alliances with the United States and Japan.
The confidence of the Thai people in China decreased, more inclined to the United States, probably influenced by the Trump tariff policy, domestic politics is unstable, the military government and the democrats have a fierce fight, the leaders do not want to because the parade is said to be a relative, send a deputy prime minister both face-to-face and not cause trouble, plus Thailand has differences with China on the South China Sea issue, more attention to the internal consensus of ASEAN so the lower tune is more stable.
The Philippines was an American colony during World War II. It fought against Japan with the Allies. Its historical memory overlaps with that of China, but it has always relied on the United States for diplomacy.
In recent years, the Philippines has been agitated on the dispute in the South China Sea, fishing boat collisions, island reef sovereignty issues have made relations very tense, polls say the Philippines have more confidence in the United States, and the US military base use rights have also been expanded after Mr Marcos took office, clearly distancing from China.
If the president comes to Beijing in person, the domestic opposition and the United States may feel that he is biased towards China and affects the Philippines' positioning in the Indo-Pacific region. Therefore, sending a foreign minister or congressman respects history without touching the red line is regarded as walking a tightrope between the United States and China.
Singapore was a British colony during World War II. Its Chinese community was persecuted by the Japanese army and its history was deeply traumatized. However, Singapore's diplomacy is very pragmatic, has close economic ties with China, and is its closest partner with the United States.
Singaporeans have more confidence in the United States, and on global supply chain restructuring and regional security issues, Singapore is afraid that the supreme leader to parade is misrepresented by Western relatives, affecting the neutral image.
As ASEAN coordinators, they place more emphasis on multilateralism and do not want to get involved in a single narrative. Vice Premier Chen Zhensheng has already set a high standard, indicating that he attaches great importance to China relations, but the absence of the top level is to maintain balance between the United States and China.
The choice of these three countries reflects the complexity of Southeast Asian diplomacy, the U.S.-China competition has intensified, they do not want to stand too clearly, Thailand relies on balancing China-Japanese security and stability, the Philippines relies on the Mefi Alliance to cope with the pressure of the South China Sea, and Singapore uses the position of a financial center to conduct neutral diplomacy.
Compared with other South East Asia countries, it is because of economic complementarity and historical closeness with China. This military parade has made China more attractive in developing countries, but it has also exposed regional differences, especially the South China Sea issue and the shadow of the US-China game.
The military parade is not only a military show, but also a diplomatic signal. China invited 26 foreign leaders to emphasize peaceful development and post-war order. The participation of Southeast Asian countries showed Beijing's efforts to promote "Community of Shared Future for Mankind". However, the caution of Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore also reminds us that regional cooperation still has historical and practical hurdles to overcome.
In the future, ASEAN may mitigate contradictions through the South China Sea Code of Conduct negotiations, and it is estimated that there will be bilateral meetings after the parade, and deepen economic cooperation, this parade brought together Southeast Asian countries, both remembering the history of the Second World War and opening up a good head for the peaceful development of the region.
The list of guests for this military parade is quite interesting. Vietnamese President Liang Qiang, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar and Indonesian President Prabowo were all present in person, as well as Cambodian King Sihamoni, Lao General Secretary Thongloun and Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar.
These countries have close relations with China and are economically reliable. For example, they engage in infrastructure construction and trade through the "the belt and road initiative". Their arrival shows that China's influence in Southeast Asia is not small.
Compared with the 70th anniversary military parade in 2015, there were more heads of state and higher ranks this time, showing that China's diplomacy has regained its vitality after the epidemic.
Putin of Russia and Kim Jong-un of North Korea are also on the list, delivering the signal of the Chinese-Russian dynasty to defend the results of the Second World War, the presence of the heads of the six Southeast Asian countries, which occupied the half-wall of the ASEAN 10 countries, is a successful case of China's surrounding diplomacy.
These countries not only come to watch the military parade, but also have practical considerations. Vietnam, Cambodia and China are old friends. They use the military parade to reaffirm their support for the post-war international order, and they can also talk about economic cooperation.
Malaysia and Indonesia are trying to find a balance between the United States and China. Participating in the military parade can win China's support in investment and trade without offending the West.
This kind of occasion also allows everyone to talk about regional stability and respond to hot issues such as US-China trade friction and the situation in the South China Sea.
In Southeast Asian countries, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore did not send a top leader, sending a deputy prime minister or ministerial representative, which seems to be a bit low.
Although Thailand was occupied by Japan during World War II, they had some cooperation with the Japanese army, and their historical position was a bit embarrassing. Now Thailand engages in balanced diplomacy, does business with China, and maintains military alliances with the United States and Japan.
The confidence of the Thai people in China decreased, more inclined to the United States, probably influenced by the Trump tariff policy, domestic politics is unstable, the military government and the democrats have a fierce fight, the leaders do not want to because the parade is said to be a relative, send a deputy prime minister both face-to-face and not cause trouble, plus Thailand has differences with China on the South China Sea issue, more attention to the internal consensus of ASEAN so the lower tune is more stable.
The Philippines was an American colony during World War II. It fought against Japan with the Allies. Its historical memory overlaps with that of China, but it has always relied on the United States for diplomacy.
In recent years, the Philippines has been agitated on the dispute in the South China Sea, fishing boat collisions, island reef sovereignty issues have made relations very tense, polls say the Philippines have more confidence in the United States, and the US military base use rights have also been expanded after Mr Marcos took office, clearly distancing from China.
If the president comes to Beijing in person, the domestic opposition and the United States may feel that he is biased towards China and affects the Philippines' positioning in the Indo-Pacific region. Therefore, sending a foreign minister or congressman respects history without touching the red line is regarded as walking a tightrope between the United States and China.
Singapore was a British colony during World War II. Its Chinese community was persecuted by the Japanese army and its history was deeply traumatized. However, Singapore's diplomacy is very pragmatic, has close economic ties with China, and is its closest partner with the United States.
Singaporeans have more confidence in the United States, and on global supply chain restructuring and regional security issues, Singapore is afraid that the supreme leader to parade is misrepresented by Western relatives, affecting the neutral image.
As ASEAN coordinators, they place more emphasis on multilateralism and do not want to get involved in a single narrative. Vice Premier Chen Zhensheng has already set a high standard, indicating that he attaches great importance to China relations, but the absence of the top level is to maintain balance between the United States and China.
The choice of these three countries reflects the complexity of Southeast Asian diplomacy, the U.S.-China competition has intensified, they do not want to stand too clearly, Thailand relies on balancing China-Japanese security and stability, the Philippines relies on the Mefi Alliance to cope with the pressure of the South China Sea, and Singapore uses the position of a financial center to conduct neutral diplomacy.
Compared with other South East Asia countries, it is because of economic complementarity and historical closeness with China. This military parade has made China more attractive in developing countries, but it has also exposed regional differences, especially the South China Sea issue and the shadow of the US-China game.
The military parade is not only a military show, but also a diplomatic signal. China invited 26 foreign leaders to emphasize peaceful development and post-war order. The participation of Southeast Asian countries showed Beijing's efforts to promote "Community of Shared Future for Mankind". However, the caution of Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore also reminds us that regional cooperation still has historical and practical hurdles to overcome.
In the future, ASEAN may mitigate contradictions through the South China Sea Code of Conduct negotiations, and it is estimated that there will be bilateral meetings after the parade, and deepen economic cooperation, this parade brought together Southeast Asian countries, both remembering the history of the Second World War and opening up a good head for the peaceful development of the region.