Foreign troops from 17 countries train for V-Day parade in Beijing

Park plans to attend a massive military parade in Beijing next week as the neighboring country commemorates the “Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War”.

The military parade will be China’s fourth since 1960. “With the area blocked, there are only a few residents left – that’s affected our earnings”. In comparison to the 2009 National Day Parade, the Victory Day parade features more modern weapons, as well as a bigger global profile.

Some residents in central Beijing have also been forbidden from opening veranda doors and windows during the parade, or bring guests into their buildings.

Xinhua said the zone has a “total investment” of 1 billion yuan ($156 million), though it was not clear exactly what that figure referred to, and would enable residents living within 20 km of the border to trade with each other and get certain tax free benefits.

“We’ve made arrangements beforehand, for instance buying vegetables, because it’s only for one to two days”, another added.

No main Western leaders are attending.

The presidency announced Zuma’s attendance at the ceremony as the leaders of Japan, the US and the UK said they would not attend because they were concerned at a show of military force at a time when tensions were running high in the region. The foreign troops will be grouped alphabetically according to their country names, and will follow PLA foot formations in the parade. The US, in trying to shift the balance of power, treats China as an important strategic adversary.

South Korea is among 31 nations that will send “high-level military delegations to China to attend the parade”, Qu said. “This can only send a worrying message to China’s neighbors”, a senior Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity.