Parade of National Pride
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The October 1 National Day parade displayed China's military power and economic achievements, and provoked a complex response from overseas commentators. Although China's armed forces manifestly lack the sophistication and firepower wielded by those of the major powers, the military parade attracted far more attention than it deserved. As usual those who view China through the lens of the past saw a distorted picture.
Concerns and worries over China's military modernization and economic achievements originate from three schools of thought, none of which apply to modern China.
Some people think economic achievement translates directly into military might. For them, China's sustained 10 percent annual growth rate means it must necessarily follow the route taken by 1930s Japan. But while China's economy has been growing strongly for 30 years or more, the government has only recently increased its military budget to undertake military modernization, which is, after all, one of the Four Modernizations that have been official policy since the 1960s. If China had been seriously bent on converting its economic achievements into military power, it would have started boosting its armed forces two decades ago. Even after recent increases in spending, China's military budget remains a fraction of America's.
Others mechanically apply the theory of the rise and fall of powers to China. According to this theory, rising powers necessarily challenge status quo powers and strive to topple the existing world order. China's stated aim of reunification with Taiwan and territorial disputes with neighbors are trotted out to back up the theory. But economic globalization has changed the landscape of international relations. Countries nowadays seek peace and prosperity, rather than military competition, which comes at the expense of economic development. China's security environment is developing in a positive direction, including its relations with the United States, Japan, and its neighbors. China has consistently pursued a policy of "putting aside the disputes and working together", and will continue to do so, in the expectation that disputes will eventually be solved diplomatically and peacefully. Cross-straits relations have also been steadily improving over the past year. Trade and economic cooperation are the main focus of China's foreign relations. China's economic integration into the world community has contributed to China's economic success, and the government has repeatedly indicated that maintaining peace and stability in the world, and in Asia-Pacific region in particular, is in China's interests. It is simply groundless to say that China intends to challenge the existing world order, though this does not necessarily mean there is no room for improvement in the status quo.
Finally, ideology, and in particular China's socialist system, drives some foreign concerns over China's rise. Those who oppose China on doctrinaire grounds often approach from two opposite angles. On one hand, a weak China will create instability in the Asia-Pacific region; on the other hand, a strong China will threaten its neighbors. Observers who used to predict China's collapse can scarcely find an audience these days, and some have switched to musing on whether the Chinese Model of development poses a challenge to the Western Model. China has many more problems than other major powers, especially in terms of population, regional disparities and lack of natural resources. So China sought a model that would suit Chinese conditions. China's success is one example of how to pursue development, and simply shows that the world is more diverse than some foreign observers believe.
In sum, China's celebration of its 60th anniversary was not about showcasing its economic and military might. Those who concentrated on the weapons systems on display missed the bigger picture. Foreign countries were not the target audience for the National Day parade. It was staged mainly for domestic consumption. It was about educating, uniting, and boosting national pride, not about threatening other countries. The message conveyed by the National Day parade was clear: China has traveled a long way to achieve today's stability, security and prosperity, and China rightly takes pride in its achievements. Foreign observers did not pay enough attention to President Hu Jintao's speech in which he stressed that China would continue its reform and opening up policy and continue developing China, socialism and Marxism. Addressing the world, he said that China would stick to its independent foreign policy of peace, peaceful development, and a win-win approach to international relations.
After three decades of effort, China has fully integrated into the world community, and found a recipe that works well for China, that it is not going to change in the future. The anniversary celebrations were not a time to look for clues about weapon systems, but an opportunity to appreciate and reflect on the Chinese people's confidence in the future. More than anything else, the National Day parade was about national pride.
