On September 3rd, Beijing held a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's War of Resistance against Japan. The number one figures of eight countries-the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea-were collectively absent.
The absence of Japan and South Korea as China’s immediate neighbors in Asia is evident.This seemingly simple diplomatic absence is behind a deep cognitive war game.
Absence of eight countries, coincidence or tacit understanding?
Western countries have used the catch-all excuse of "travel conflicts". US President Donald Trump is hosting Poland's new president at the White House, and the German chancellor has cancelled an investment hearing involving China.
More coincidentally, the Pentagon also deliberately chose to release the Indo-Pacific military power report on the day of the military parade. This "coincidence" with hourly accuracy is like a modern replay of the Cold War playbook.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government claimed that it was because "the domestic review of the security bill could not be withdrawn". South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sent the Speaker of the National Assembly as a representative to attend, and the attendance specifications were significantly reduced.
The coordination of this absence is surprising.The leaders of the six major Western nations of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Australia, without exception, chose not to attend and presented a coordinated picture.
Behind this consistency, what reflects the deep contradictions in the West's strategy towards China. Japan became the first country in the world to explicitly obstruct China's "93 military parade."
In August this year, the Japanese government appealed to Eurasian countries through diplomatic channels, asking them to "carefully consider" whether to participate in China's commemorative activities on September 3rd.
Japan's reasons are not ridiculous: it claims that this is to avoid "the expansion of Chinese-led historical knowledge in the international community", and it absurdly accuses the commemoration of "excessive focus on history" and "anti-Japanese colour intensity".
Recently, the Japanese government lobbied Asian and European countries through its embassies abroad and “recommended” the other party not to attend China’s 80th anniversary of the victory and parade.
Japan's fear of China's military parade is rooted in its failure to fully address historical issues. In a speech on August 15, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba paid lip service to "remember the lessons", but said nothing about the pain caused by the war.
Japanese textbooks have long downplayed the history of aggression, and right-wing politicians frequently visit the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class A war criminals.
In the primary school textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan in 2023, "forced labor" was changed to "volunteering to join the army", and the historical fact of "comfort women" was deleted.
In May this year, Chief Cabinet Secretary Lin Fangzheng even publicly declared that Japan "has always supported democracy after the war" and never mentioned aggression. This historical nihilistic operation has formed institutional arrangements.
In contrast, Germany’s experience shows that only a profound reflection of history can win respect from neighbors and acceptance from the international community. Japan’s attitude on historical issues is in sharp contrast to Germany, always “playing tai chi” and trying to avoid responsibility.
How does cognitive warfare work?
Cognitive warfare is a strategic means to achieve political goals by influencing the cognition, emotions, and behaviors of the target audience. In this game surrounding the 93rd military parade, all parties used different cognitive warfare strategies.
Japan uses diplomatic pressure and information manipulation to pressure other countries through diplomatic channels in an attempt to influence their decision to participate in the parade.
At the same time, by distorting the meaning of Chinese commemorative activities, depicting them as "anti-Japanese" and "excessive focus on history", attempts to create a negative impression of China in the international community.
Through diplomatic channels, the United States sent a clear signal to its allies: Don’t add color to the Chinese parade ceremony.
This coordinated absence is itself a means of cognitive warfare, aimed at sending a signal of Western unity to China and the international community.
This is not to continue hatred, but to take warning and prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies.
In contrast to the absence of eight countries, the Southeast Asian countries have almost a "all-star lineup". the top leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries collectively in the north, showing firm support for China.
The three leaders of Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia just concluded the SCO summit in Tianjin, immediately switched to Beijing, forming a rare "two-city diplomacy" model.
This is very different from the situation in 2015. At that time, Malaysia only sent special envoys, and Indonesia was only a ministerial representative. Nowadays, all six Southeast Asian countries are personally attended by heads of state, setting a historical record for Southeast Asia to participate in China's military parade.
The reason why Southeast Asian leaders dare to make a high-profile platform comes from their solid ties of interests. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, with bilateral trade volume exceeding 6.3 trillion yuan.
How does China respond to cognitive warfare?
China has always adhered to the policy direction of learning from history and facing the future. Commemorating the victory of the Anti-Japanese War is not to continue hatred, but to learn from it and prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies.
The purpose of holding military parades in China is to remember history, remember martyrs, and cherish peace. This is a matter for the China people and does not require the recognition or endorsement of other countries. Those countries that choose to be absent lose the opportunity to understand China and enhance mutual trust.
In the face of the cognitive war, China has chosen to continue to work with all peace-loving countries and people in the world, adhere to a correct historical perspective, safeguard the post-war international order, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Those who try to distort history and create division will eventually be eliminated by history. The collective absence of the leaders of the eight countries from the 1993 military parade in Beijing is ostensibly the absence of diplomatic etiquette, but in fact it is a deep-seated cognitive warfare game.
Japan has become a major driver of obstructing participation because of its historical depth and strategic anxiety.The countries that choose to be absent are losing the opportunity to understand China and build mutual trust.
Through this parade, China has once again demonstrated to the world its determination to develop peacefully and its openness and inclusion.
The empty chair of the 93rd parade is both a metaphor of the decline of Western moral discourse and a witness to China's strength in the strategic game.When Eastern wisdom says "friends come with good wine", those who choose to go back will eventually miss the opening of the new world.
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The Japanese government has tried to prevent countries from participating in the 93rd parade and has spent tens of billions of dollars on fostering foreigners from Japan.