Speech by Chinese president's speech at commemoration of

70th anniversary of war victory

All my countrymen and women,

Your Excellencies heads of state and government and

representatives of the United Nations and other international
organizations,
All officers and soldiers participating in the parade,
Distinguished guests,
Friends, Ladies and gentlemen, Comrades and friends,

Today is a day that will forever be etched in the memory of people

all over the world. Seventy years ago today, the Chinese people,
having fought tenaciously for 14 years, won the great victory of
70
their War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, marking the
full victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. On that day, the world
14
was once again blessed by the sunshine of peace.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Central Committee of the

Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National

People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central

Military Commission, I pay high tribute to all the veterans,

comrades, patriots and officers in China who took part in the War of
Resistance and all the Chinese at home and abroad who contributed

significantly to the victory of the War. I extend heartfelt gratitude to

foreign governments and friends who supported and assisted the
 Chinese people in resisting aggression. I also warmly welcome all

the foreign guests and representatives of the armed forces of foreign

countries present today.

The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese

Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War were a decisive battle

between justice and evil, between light and darkness, and between

progress and reaction. In that devastating war, the Chinese People's

War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression started the earliest

and lasted the longest. In defiance of aggression, the unyielding

Chinese people fought gallantly and finally won total victory

against the Japanese militarist aggressors, thus preserving China's

5,000-year-old civilization and upholding the cause of peace of

mankind. This remarkable feat made by the Chinese nation was rare
in the history of war.

5000

The victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against

Japanese Aggression is the first complete victory won by China in

its resistance against foreign aggression in modern times. This great

triumph crushed the plot of the Japanese militarists to colonize and

 enslave China and put an end to China's national humiliation of

suffering successive defeats at the hands of foreign aggressors in

modern times. This great triumph re-established China as a major

country in the world and won the Chinese people respect of all
peace-loving people around the world. This great triumph opened

up bright prospects for the great renewal of the Chinese nation and
set our ancient country on a new journey after gaining rebirth.

During the war, with huge national sacrifice, the Chinese people
held ground in the main theater in the East of the World
Anti-Fascist War, thus making major contribution to its victory. In
their war against Japanese aggression, the Chinese people received
extensive support from the international community. The Chinese
people will always remember what the people of other countries did
for the victory of their War of Resistance.

The experience of war makes people value peace all the more. The

aim of our commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of

the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese

Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War is to bear history in

mind, honor all those who laid down their lives, cherish peace and
70
open up the future.


Ravaging through Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, that war

inflicted over 100 million military and civilian casualties. China

suffered over 35 million casualties and the Soviet Union lost more

than 27 million lives. The best way to honor the heroes who gave
their lives to uphold freedom, justice and peace and mourn the loss
1
of innocent lives brutally taken during the war is to make sure that
this historical tragedy will never repeat itself.
3500 2700

War is like a mirror. Looking at it helps us better appreciate the

value of peace. Today, peace and development have become the

prevailing trend, but the world is far from tranquil. War is the sword

of Damocles that still hangs over mankind. We must learn the

lessons of history and dedicate ourselves to peace.

In the interest of peace, we need to foster a keen sense of a global

community of shared future. Prejudice, discrimination, hatred and
war can only cause disaster and suffering, while mutual respect,
equality, peaceful development and common prosperity represent
the right path to take. All countries should jointly uphold the
international order and system underpinned by the purposes and
 principles of the UN Charter, build a new type of international
relations featuring win-win cooperation and advance the noble
cause of global peace and development.

In the interest of peace, China will remain committed to peaceful

development. We Chinese love peace. No matter how much stronger

it may become, China will never seek hegemony or expansion. It

will never inflict its past suffering on any other nation. The Chinese
people are resolved to pursue friendly relations with all other

countries, uphold the outcomes of the Chinese People's War of

Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist

War, and make greater contribution to mankind.

The People's Liberation Army of China is the people's army. All its

officers, men and women must bear in mind their responsibility of

serving the people whole-heartedly, faithfully fulfill the sacred duty

of protecting the nation's security and people's well-being, and carry

 out the noble mission of upholding world peace. Here, I announce

that China will cut the number of its troops by 300,000.

30

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "After making a good start, we

should ensure that the cause achieves fruition." The great renewal of
the Chinese nation requires the dedicated efforts of one generation

after another. Having created a splendid civilization of over 5,000

years, the Chinese nation will certainly usher in an even brighter

future.

5000

Going forward, under the leadership of the Communist Party of

China, we, people of all ethnicities across the country, should take
Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory,

the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific

Outlook on Development as our guide to action. We should follow

the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursue the

four-pronged comprehensive strategy, promote patriotism and the

great spirit of resisting aggression and forge ahead as one to reach

our goals.

.
 Let us bear in mind the great truth of history: Justice will prevail!

Peace will prevail! The people will prevail!

---
China Announces Cuts of 300,000 Troops at
Military Parade Showing Its Might
30

BEIJING President Xi Jinping of China announced

on Thursday that he would reduce the countrys military
personnel by 300,000, using a parade marking 70 years
30
since the end of World War II to present the Peoples
Liberation Army as a force for peace and regional
70
stability.

The Chinese military has more than two million

members, and Mr. Xi has embarked on an accelerated
modernization of the armed forces, which would shift
spending from the traditional land forces to more
advanced sea and air forces, which require fewer but
200
better trained personnel.

Speaking on a platform overlooking Tiananmen Square,

he described the cut as a gesture of peace at a time
when Chinas neighbors have grown increasingly
worried about its territorial claims and military strength.

I announce that China will reduce military personnel
numbers by 300,000, he said, after declaring that the
military was loyally committed to its sacred duty of
defending the security of the motherland and the
peaceful life of the people, and loyally committed to the
sacred duty of safeguarding world peace.

The cut would shrink military forces to two million
personnel, the China News Service, a state-run agency,
said.

In announcing the cuts, the largest in nearly two decades,
Mr. Xi signaled his determination to press forward with
his agenda of military restructuring despite Chinas
economic slowdown. The government will be under
30
pressure to find jobs for the demobilized soldiers, many
with limited skills.

The parade, which began immediately after Mr. Xi
spoke, was called a commemoration of the 70th
anniversary of the end of World War II, but appeared to
be an attempt by the Communist Party to showcase the
nations rising military might to a global audience.

Many outside observers saw it as a display of the
assertive posture Chinahas taken in the region
as territorial disputes have flared, prompting the United
States to underline its military dominance of Asian seas.
200
Rory Medcalf, the head of the National Security College
at the Australian National University in Canberra, said
the reductions were unlikely to ease regional worries
about Chinas growing military strength, because they
were part of the modernization program to shift the
Peoples Liberation Armys resources from traditional
land forces.

It would seem to be a pleasant surprise, because hes

clearly dressing it up as a signal of peace and good will,
Professor Medcalf said by telephone. But China

probably doesnt need an army as large as it has.

Personnel are a massive cost in a military budget, and

theres been a lot of growth in military wages in China in
recent years, so there are sensible capability reasons to

cut personnel numbers without cutting effectiveness,
Professor Medcalf said. This could also free up part of
70
the budget for rebalancing the P.L.A. towards more
advanced capabilities.

The reduction announced by Mr. Xi is similar in size to
cuts made under his predecessor, President Jiang Zemin,
who in the early 2000s trimmed troop numbers by
200,000. M. Taylor Fravel, an associate professor at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies the
Chinese military, said the move showed that Mr. Xis
plans for reorganizing the military were continuing,
despite the lack of publicly disclosed details since those
plans were declared in 2013.

Xi would not announce the size of the reduction

publicly if a plan for how to achieve the reduction had
not already been formulated, so the announcement

indicates that reforms are definitely underway, Mr.
Fravel said. Ground forces will likely face the brunt of
the reduction, but in the past reductions have been used

to streamline layers of command and bureaucracy within
the P.L.A.
(National Security College)
The new cuts would be the largest since 1997, when a
reduction of 500,000 military personnel was announced. (Rory Medcalf)

Mr. Xi started his rise through the Communist Party as

an aide to the minister of defense for several years
starting in 1979, when China was smarting from a brief
but disastrous war with Vietnam. Since he became head
of the Communist Party in November 2012, Mr. Xi has
closely associated himself with the military, while also
pursuing a campaign against corruption that has reached
into the topmost ranks of the P.L.A. command.

Today, peace and development have become the

prevailing trend, but the world is far from tranquil, Mr.
Xi said in his speech on Thursday. War is the sword of
Damocles that still hangs over mankind. We must learn
the lessons of history and dedicate ourselves to peace.

After the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in

1949, the Peoples Liberation Army emerged from the
Communist revolution as both a bulwark against

external threats and a domestic guardian of the partys
power. Its numbers have always been heavily weighted
toward the land armies arrayed across China. But over
recent decades, Chinas leaders have tried to shift more
resources to air and naval forces intended to project
influence abroad and assert the countrys claims to
disputed islands and waters.
China has about 2.3 million men and women in its

military, according to most recent estimates, and the
bulk of them are infantry soldiers, often recruited from

the countryside to serve for a few years before they
re-enter the civilian work force.

Bonnie S. Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center
for Strategic and International Studies in Washington,
said the reduction in troops was part of an effort by Mr.
Xi to make the military more efficient and professional.

The Chinese have come farther than any other military
in the last decade, she said. But nobody recognizes the
21
deficiencies of the P.L.A. more than China.

The Chinese have made significant strides in building a 20

world-class army over the past decade, Ms. Glaser said.
But serious challenges remain, including upgrading
military weapons and training personnel. Nobody
knows how Chinas military is going to stack up against (M. Taylor Fravel)
what the U.S. has, she said. But in important ways
they are certainly closing the gaps.

Mr. Xi gave no details about how his administration 2013

intends to carry out the cuts, and they may be achieved
by natural attrition or reduced recruitment, rather than
direct reductions. But at a time when Chinas economic
growth has slowed, the reduced military intake could
add pressure on the government. In the past,
decommissioned officers and former soldiers unhappy
with their job prospects and welfare have become a
persistent source of protests outside government offices.

The Chinese government does not issue regular statistics
on its military forces. But experts estimate that the army


has about 1.6 million personnel, the navy 240,000, and
the air force 400,000.

The parade on Thursday began at Tiananmen Square
beneath blue skies that followed days of rain and weeks
of forced closings of factories across northern China to
keep the capitals infamous smog at bay. (Sarcastic
Chinese commentators have called it anti-fascist
blue.) Before some 12,000 Chinese troops marched
1997
past, accompanied by tanks and missiles on the ground
and fighter jets overhead, Mr. Xi and his wife, Peng
50
Liyuan, made a show of greeting foreign officials that
included 30 national leaders.

Scheduled for the day after the 70th anniversary of
Japans formal surrender, the parade was devised to
1979
stress Japans war guilt and glorify the Chinese
Communist Partys role in the conflict. Many Western

nations, now allied with Japan, find the effort to shame
Tokyo offensive, and are also uncomfortable with the

partys assertion that the Communists defeated the
occupying Japanese forces. Historians credit the
2012 11
Nationalists, their opponents in the civil war that ended
in 1949, with most of the fighting.

The turnout of foreign leaders was far more modest than
the party wanted, partly because many nations were
wary of being seen to support a growing Chinese
military. In recent years, moves by China on its
Himalayan borderand in disputed regional waters
including building artificial islands in part for military
use have set neighboring countries on edge.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia topped the list of ,

foreign attendees, and audience members in the stands
clapped loudly when he was shown on TV in the square.
The president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the
International Criminal Court on genocide charges, was
the most prominent African leader in the stands. Mr. Xi
welcomed him here on Tuesday as an old friend of the
Chinese people.

Though Beijing pressured Western European countries 1949

to send high-level officials, few promised to do so. The
United States sent its ambassador to China, Max Baucus.

For military enthusiasts in China and many observers

overseas, the display of armaments was the most
anticipated part of the parade. The Peoples Liberation

Army, whose budget, according to official figures, grew
10 percentthis year, sees the parade as a strategic site for

displaying a capable military and demonstrating the
will to use it, said Dennis J. Blasko, a former United

States Army attach in Beijing and an author of books on
the Chinese Army.

For Mr. Xi, just as important as the display of hardware
is the optics of aligning the militarys might with his
personal command. A large part of his reputation as a
forceful leader rests on the fact that he consolidated
230
power quickly after taking office in 2012, particularly
his control of the military. Mr. Xi immediately took over

the role of chairman of the Central Military
Commission, which supervises the military, from his

predecessor, Hu Jintao, then moved swiftly to purge top
generals in a broad anticorruption drive.

Mr. Xi has cast himself as a savior of the military, saying (Center for
that corruption must be eradicated for the army to be
battle-ready, and he has also strengthened his base Strategic and International Studies)
by promoting officers in the general staff.
(Bonnie S. Glaser)
Xi badly wants to build up an image of being the most
authoritative military commander since Mao Zedong
and Deng Xiaoping, said Zhang Lifan, a historian
whose father was a minister under early Communist
rule. I believe the parade is mostly for domestic politics
since he wants to further assert power in the army.

Edward Wong and Jane Perlez reported from Beijing, and

Chris Buckley from Hong Kong. Javier C. Hernandez
contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Mia Li and

Yufan Huang contributed research from Beijing.

160

24 40

1.2

30

70

1949

V(Vladimir V. Putin)

(Omar al-Bashir)

(International Criminal Court)

(Max Baucus)

10%

(Dennis J. Blasko)

2012

(Edward Wong)

(Chris Buckley)

Jane Perlez

Mia Li Yufan Huang