China’s parade shows the world a strong force for stability in a turbulent era

On September 3, Beijing will stage a grand military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World War II. The sweeping columns of troops, the unveiling of next-generation weaponry, and the roar of aircraft overhead will draw global attention. Yet beyond the spectacle, the deeper message is clear: in an age of uncertainty and shifting power, a strong China is not a menace to peace but one of its chief guarantors.

For China, such parades are about more than hardware. They are about memory. During World War II, the nation lost more than 35 million lives. That trauma forged a lasting conviction that peace is priceless and stability indispensable. Today, the world finds itself unsettled once again. Regional wars drag on, the global economy is fragmenting, and climate stress is mounting. The international order, once assumed to be solid, is being reshaped before our eyes. In such a climate, the need for anchors of stability has rarely been more urgent.