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Japan Prepares Aug. 15 Remembrance as China Plans Massive Sept. 3 Victory Day Parade

The split schedule highlights diplomatic tensions rooted in divergent wartime memories.

FILE - People clad in outdated military uniforms walk towards the main hall of the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 15, 2024, as the country marks the 79th anniversary of its defeat in the World War II. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed on a screen as Type 99A2 Chinese battle tanks take part in a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender during World War II held in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin observe a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Japan's World War II defeat, from Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
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Overview

  • Japan will hold its annual August 15 ceremony in Tokyo with live addresses by Emperor Naruhito and the prime minister, broadcast by NHK.
  • China has finalized a large-scale Victory Day parade on September 3 in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square featuring missiles, tanks and fighter jets.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend China’s parade, underscoring Beijing’s use of military pageantry to project regional power.
  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun recently urged Japan to deeply reflect on its wartime actions and accused it of concealing military expansion behind regional tensions.
  • The divergent commemorations underscore enduring bilateral friction driven by conflicting interpretations of history and evolving defense postures.