http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/world/asia/china-military-parade-xi-jinping.html?ref=world&_r=0
In Beijing, 12,000 troops staged a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on Thursday, Sep.3.
“War is the sword of Damocles that still hangs over mankind,” Mr. Xi said in a speech at the start of a vast military parade. Mr. Xi indicated that he wanted to show other countries — many of them wary of China’s growing military strength — that they had nothing to fear from the procession of tanks and missiles that rumbled down Chang’an Avenue while fighter jets roared overhead.
Turmoil in the Chinese stock market and worries about an economic slowdown in recent months have dented Mr. Xi’s reputation. But Mr. Xi conveyed confidence on Thursday. Wearing a traditional suit of the kind favored by Mao, he addressed the troops and greeted the crowd while standing in a Red Flag limousine. Later, he watched the procession from a viewing stand overlooking the square with his two predecessors as president, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin.
In March, the Chinese government announced that the defense budget for 2015 would be 10 percent higher than the previous year. But with economic growth slowing, dismissing hundreds of thousands of soldiers could add pressure on the government.
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