Shut windows and empty offices: China’s massive military parade is closed to the public
Beijing is gearing up for the “Victory Day” military parade, but the public isn’t allowed to go.
On Wednesday, China‘s Communist Party will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in the Pacific. President Xi Jinping has invited Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to attend as part of Beijing’s showcase of global power.
In addition to more than 20 world leaders, only party dignitaries and other hand-picked people will attend.
“Looking at the parade itself, you really are just going to see a stage-managed performance of total control,” said Carl Minzner, senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations and author of “End of an Era: How China’s Authoritarian Revival is Undermining Its Rise.”
The main parade route is heavily patrolled as more than six square miles — about four times the size of New York’s Central Park — are under lockdown.
Building authorities along Chang’an Avenue, the primary parade route, have informed Beijing residents to keep their windows shut and for those in offices to stay away from early Tuesday evening until well after the 70-minute procession ends the following day.
Shops are closed along the route, as are subway stations. Police checks are more strict.
The closest anyone from the public will be is at least a street away. Barriers have been set up even further, while some fences for traffic were painted in rainbow colors to make the controls feel more festive.
Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin (R) is helped to arrive for a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, with China’s President Xi Jinping (C), Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and China’s Premier Li Keqiang on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China. China is marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and its role in defeating Japan with a new national holiday and a military parade in Beijing.
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images
“For many observers at home, you’re going to look at that and think, ‘Wow, everything in China is perfect.’ It’s conveying a false impression of the reality of China, which in some ways is what Beijing really wants,” Minzer said.
From a rostrum at Tiananmen Square, Xi will oversee the showcasing of China’s newest “domestically produced, active-duty” battle equipment, including tanks, fighter jets, drones, electronic jamming systems, and hypersonic missiles, as outlined by China’s Defense Ministry.
He will also inspect troops, which are set to take part in 45 formations meant to project the country’s military might.
The parade offers a window into how China and the ruling Communist Party operate.
“On TV, the party authorities want the public to see the party firmly in control,” Minzner explained. “They’re worried that there are discontented people in China and something might go wrong. They want at all costs to prevent that from happening. They’re worried about the impact that it might have on the perceptions that it’s giving to Chinese citizens.”
