Beijing tightens control of the military parade, marking the big moment of XI on the world stage

The scene is placed in Beijing’s heart for a grand display of power and military power, which is choreographed by its President Jinping.

Eight huge Chinese flags are also flickering and flank portrait of Mao Zedun, the founder of the Communist China, who sits at the top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace overlooking Tiananmann Square, one of the largest public squares in the world.

Below are rows of places reserved for 26 state foreign heads, including Russian Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un to North Korea, whose visit is a diplomatic victory for the XI.

On the other side of the road, near the Great Hall of People, two huge floral arrangements in memory of the end of World War II rise along with seating places for about 50,000 invited.

On the last day of preparation – Monday – Avenue Chang’an, the multiple road that cuts through the square, was again open to the public. Drivers and cyclists kept their phones in height, trying to shoot the scene.

Obviously, the parade marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s broadcast to the war and China’s victory against occupying force. But this is much more than for its president.

This is a big week for him, with quite one. He lured Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit China over the weekend for the first time in seven years, restarting key economic and strategic relations.

More than 20 world leaders have attended the Shanhai Cooperation Organization Summit (SCO), which has just locked up -its largest gathering.

And the North Korean leader will attend a Chinese military parade for the first time since 1959.

The Chinese leader has his moment in the spotlight.

The SCOs summit in Tianjin allowed him to design power and offer a vision for a new world order, which he hopes to challenge the United States. Now the attention is being addressed to the Beijing parade, which will show his country’s growing ability to compete with the United States in any conflict.

The leaders of Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Central Asia will witness the exact formations of the troops and will get an idea of ​​what the authorities say will be new hypersonic weapons and unmanned submarine drones. The only Western leaders in the guest list are from Serbia and Slovakia.

Kim Jong Un is a surprising addition – his attendance was only announced at the end of last week – and his armored train and the usual motorcycle, surrounded by bodyguards, will add to the show.

It is expected that the XI will have both Kim and Putin on his part, which will inevitably lead to Western titles or analysts that describe them as the “lift axis”.

While the parade is to show the power of China and the influence of SI as a world leader, there is also a clear home message: pride and patriotism.

China describes the Second World War as “the war of resistance to people against Japanese aggression”, although much of the resistance was not from the Communist Party, and from the nationalists who later lost the Mao Civil War and were largely detected by national memory.

On the eve of the anniversary, several films were released, depicting this fight, some of which are the hits of the box office. State media publish reports to “encourage the right view of the history of World War II.”

The campaign caused some friction with Japan. Last week, Beijing protested with Tokyo because of reports that Japan asked European and Asian governments not to attend the parade.

All this seems to be part of a rally for the nation, as China is struggling with a slow economy, unemployment for young people and a reduction in housing prices. The demand is weak and the most new data show that Trump’s tariffs hit the factory production. And the propulsion of “anti -corruption” continues, with reports of high -ranking employees being investigated.

There is dissatisfaction, even disappointment, especially among young people, and this has penetrated, even in the strictly controlled Chinese Internet.

The fear that this could spill into the real world is partly what leads to extraordinary preparation, which has become a demonstration of the control of the party of the capital city of more than 21 million people. The city got bigger as the parade approached.

In some office entrances, airport security scanners are installed. All drones are banned and international journalists have been visited at home, some of the several times to ensure that they will receive the message.

The Guards are located 24 hours a day at the entrances of overpasses and bridges to prevent any protest, some of them in army uniforms.

Three years ago when the party chose XI as its leader for a historic third term, a The protester unfolded a flag over a large highway bridge criticizing himself and calling for his expulsion. He was immediately taken away and we still don’t know what happened to him.

But this is a time when the party does not want to experience.

The Communist Party staff spent months planning and preparing for their first military parade for six years. More than 200,000 flags have been placed throughout the capital.

More floral arrangements depicting China’s struggle against Japan sit proudly on prominent roadside roads and circular intersections. There is even a new city of Lightscape to illuminate buildings in a business neighborhood.

Officials from the Parade Command Office have said “the principle of comprehensive … is to avoid violating the public as much as possible.”

But for those who live in Beijing, the parade has turned life.

The tanks could be heard to roll the streets during weekly rehearsals overnight and the sounds of marching echoed far beyond the parade route.

People living near Avenue Chang’an, which leads to Tiananmann Square, were told to stay outside their balconies to ensure that rehearsals could be held in secrecy.

Schools, business and hotels on the parade will be closed over the next two days. There are numerous abnormalities on the road and closing the subway line that effectively paralyzes transport in and outside the city center.

Even if you get a shared city bike, often the best way to get around Beijing can now be disturbing. There are usually hundreds of them lined outside the metro stations and along the sidewalks. But recently, city workers are scolding them to keep them away from the parade route. Attempting to hire the strange left behind is not an option: the motor will not move.

In the past, China has been reported to have used the Air Force to ensure that there is a blue sky for the parade. The aircraft can manipulate the time to trigger rain by sowing a cloud one or two days in advance to make sure it is clear afterwards.

It is difficult to understand whether this tactic was used this year, but the forecasts predict a clear sky. Beijing officials do not take any chance of their president’s big day.