According to Chinese state media, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russian Federation, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia, Abdul Fatah Sisi of Egypt and Milos Zeman of the Czech Republic have accepted invitations to attend.
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On September 3, Beijing plans to hold a military parade to mark 70 years since the end of what it calls the “War of Resistance Against Japan“. The government may also have been concerned about the possible anti-Japanese tone of an event marking the country’s surrender in 1945. There is no doubt that both China and Japan are vital to each other’s future development, evidenced by the simple fact that China is the world’s second largest economy and Japan is the third.
Abe decided to skip the visit because Japan’s parliament is debating his controversial legislation to expand the role of the military, NHK said, without citing anyone.
Third, Abe is a strong leader in Japan, though his approval ratings have been dropping in recent months. He avoided an August 15 visit to a war shrine seen by many in China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. The right-wing groups must be putting a lot of pressure on Abe these days, but Abe must firmly resist their pressure.
Also on the list is the cemetery for the fallen soldiers in the Battle of Pingxingguan, which took place in north China’s Shanxi Province in September 1937.
Thanks to the Chinese people, the Japanese troops were not able to proceed further to attack the eastern part of the Soviet Union, or make inroads into India, Australia and perhaps the Middle East, as the then US president Franklin D. Roosevelt feared in a worst scenario.
He also made a decision to side with Western leaders who are staying away from the military parade in China because of worries about its military expansion in the region, the Sankei newspaper reported earlier on Monday.
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Political pundits have nonetheless suggested that his absence at the event, where children may or may not be playing this game, will not likely affect relations between the two Asian nations.
