Xi says China 'unstoppable' in parade opening speech

BEIJING, September 4 ------ President Xi Jinping said China was “unstoppable” in a speech to kick off a massive parade in Beijing marking 80 years since the end of World War II. “The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable, and humanity’s cause of peace and development will prevail,” Xi said in the speech, aired on television. “Humanity is again faced with a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games,” he added.

The president called on nations across the world “to eliminate the root cause of war and prevent historical tragedies from recurring.” “Common security can only be safeguarded when nations across the world treat each other as equals, live in harmony, and mutually support one another,” he said.

In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook both their hands and chatted with the pair as they walked down a red carpet toward Tiananmen Square, with Putin to Xi’s right and Kim to his left. All eyes are on how the trio of Xi, Putin and Kim — who rarely leaves secretive North Korea — interact with each other in a highly choreographed photo opportunity seen as a coup for China on the world stage. Wednesday’s 70-minute event is the climax of a whirlwind week for Xi, who on Sunday and Monday hosted a slew of Eurasian leaders for a summit in the northern port city of Tianjin aimed at putting China front and center of regional relations.

Hardware on show

Security around Beijing has tightened in recent days and weeks, with road closures, military personnel stationed on bridges and street corners, and miles upon miles of white barriers lining the capital’s wide boulevards. Art installations with flowers, doves and an emblem showing the Great Wall of China with “1945-2025” have cropped up around the city, and Chinese flags fly in residential neighborhoods. Officials have been tight-lipped over the list of hardware to be displayed at the parade, but military enthusiasts have already spotted significant new systems, including what is rumored to be a gigantic laser weapon.

Defense experts have been analyzing social media photos and footage from recent rehearsals, which have shown anti-ship missiles, cutting-edge underwater drones, and anti-missile systems. The military has said all the equipment presented is domestically produced and “in active duty.”

Source: manilatimes.net