Reflecting new ideas in new era

To a large extent the parade aimed to show the strength of a country that is committed to peaceful development. Generally speaking China's growing military strength could be attributed to Chinese people's hard efforts for seven decades on one hand and China's continuous integration to the international community and its promotion of the basic value of peaceful joint development. With its new capacity what China could contribute to the world is worth looking forward to.

With fewer countries holding it, the parade is becoming an increasingly Chinese tradition. Most importantly it provides an opportunity to China, a country that only gained its sovereignty and independence 70 years ago, to showcase its achievements and unite people. Besides, as the challenges from home and abroad, such as the growing US hostility to China and the constant turmoil in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, become increasingly complicated and acute, it is necessary for China to tell hostile forces it is no longer the weakling and no one could afford to take it for granted anymore.

The parade also emphasized the new development direction, measures and achievements in the new era. For instance, the first formation was the commander formation, showing the growing emphasis on governance. And the float for Shaanxi province carried a stack of bricks, letting people wonder whether it alludes to the demolition of illegal villa projects in the Qinling Mountains. In addition, education, anti-corruption, military construction and technological progress were also well-underlined in the grand rally.

- Zhu Feng, dean of the Institute of International Relations of Nanjing University