China to stage Sept 3 parade in Beijing marking WWII end

China will stage a large military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, an event that has prompted diplomatic maneuvering across the region and beyond. Tokyo has privately urged European and Asian governments to refrain from attending, citing concerns that Beijing will use the ceremony to promote an interpretation of history with anti-Japanese overtones. Taipei and other democracies have also warned that the spectacle could be exploited to drive wedges among like-minded governments.

The parade in Tiananmen Square follows a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to be held in nearby Tianjin through September 1, which is expected to draw Russia’s president and other leaders. Official Chinese announcements say 26 foreign leaders will attend the September 3 ceremonies, and state media confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to be present. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend. So far, Slovakia is the only European Union member state publicly confirmed as taking part. South Korea’s president has declined to attend and will instead...