Vincent K. L. Chang
In September 2015, the People’s Republic of China held its first major military parade to mark victory in World War II.
On September 3, 2025, President Xi Jinping is scheduled once again to host world leaders in Beijing for the commemoration of Victory Day in what is formally known in China as the “Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.”
At first glance, Beijing’s messaging appears similar to 10 years ago. But a closer look indicates increased uncertainty about what lies ahead.
Anticipating Great Victory
In 2015, China appeared ready to realize its long-anticipated rise as a global superpower – a goal officially branded as “national rejuvenation.”
During a milestone meeting in June 2013, Xi and then-U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to establish a new model of great power relations, emphasizing pragmatic cooperation and the constructive management of differences.
Earlier that year in Moscow, Xi established the foundation for a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and what would later be described as a “limitless” strategic partnership between their countries.
Closer to home, Xi conducted “landmark” and “ice-breaking” meetings with his Indian and Japanese counterparts in 2014. These coincided with a period of notable warmth in cross-strait relations, culminating in an unprecedented face-to-face summit between Xi and Taiwan’s president in November 2015.
These diplomatic successes, along with expectations of continued rapid economic growth, influenced Beijing’s evolving perspective on its position in the current global order as well as official accounts of the nation’s past.
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