1. Xi Jinping has capped a week of frenetic diplomacy by presiding over one of China’s biggest military parades, projecting his nation’s growing power in a show of solidarity with fellow strongmen Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. A procession of China’s newest tanks, drones and missiles rolled past Tiananmen Square on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the second world war victory over Japan. The People’s Liberation Army showed off its latest weapons, including hypersonic missiles, with Xi hailing troops as a “heroic force” that should develop into a “world-class military” — implying a full equal to the US’s armed forces. The Chinese president said the PLA would “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity” — code for Beijing’s goal of gaining control over Taiwan. “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable,” Xi added. (Source: ft.com)
2. When Lieutenant General Han Shengyan, commander of the Central Theater Command’s Air Force, invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to inspect the troops at the parade Wednesday, military watchers took note. The job usually falls to the Central Theater Commander, a full general. The change is the latest sign that Xi’s sweeping military purge — the largest since Mao Zedong’s turbulent rule ended in 1976 — is still widening. At least 14 generals promoted under Xi since 2012 have disappeared from public view or come under investigation, including three members of the powerful Central Military Commission, according to an earlier Bloomberg News analysis. (Source: bloomberg.com)
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