Kathmandu, 28 Aug: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will participate in the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japanese aggression in Beijing on the 18th after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit to be held in Tianjin, China on 15th and 16th Bhadra.
Diplomatic circles are now concerned about how Japan, considered a major development partner of Nepal, will react to the Prime Minister’s decision. Concerns are being expressed that Oli’s presence at an event in which one of Nepal’s major development partners is showing interest could irritate Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Wednesday, saying that Oli will participate in the parade on September 3. Although his main objective is to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Oli is also going to Beijing to participate in the parade to commemorate the formal defeat of Japan during World War II. Nepal is a country that has adopted a non-aligned foreign policy.
“Japan informed other countries through its embassies abroad that Chinese events have ‘anti-Japanese sentiments’ and that leaders’ participation should be carefully considered,” the news said.
The news also mentions that when China held a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the war in 2015, President Xi Jinping said that the generation born after the war should “maintain a correct historical perspective and reflect on the lessons of history.”
The comment reportedly followed a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the time, saying that the generation born after the war should not be forced to make apologetics out of necessity.
The British newspaper The Guardian has also reported that Western leaders will not attend China’s victory parade. Despite Western pressure, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are said to be attending the military parade.
“According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, no Western leaders will be among the 26 foreign heads of state and government participating in the parade next week,” the news report said, “The only exception to the list is Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, a member of the European Union.”
“The purpose of the program is to remember history, honor martyrs, cherish peace, and move forward towards a brighter future,” he said. “Countries that face history honestly and truthfully, learn from history, and are truly dedicated to peaceful development will have no doubts or objections to these programs.”
Millions of Chinese citizens were killed during the long war with Japan in the 1930s and 1940s. The war became part of a global conflict after Tokyo attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Chinese Communist Party has since held grand events to commemorate Japan’s defeat.
