What Did the September 3 Parade Mean?

This week on Sinica, I speak first with retired Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a frequent commentator on Chinese military and security affairs and a prolific writer now at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, and with Rana Mitter of the Harvard Kennedy School and author of Forgotten Ally, a book about World War II in China. 4:08 – The primary objectives behind the September 3rd parade 10:03 – China’s position in the global arms market 14:45 – The strategic importance of the new weapons on display 21:10 – China, Russia, and North Korea: strategic dynamics 33:14 – Perspectives on the China–Russia relationship 44:13 – Avoiding security dilemma spirals 50:32 – Rana Mitter: Wartime memory, national narratives, and the 2025 shift 57:06 – Narratives of China’s role in World War II 01:19:01 – The significance and performative Dimension of the 2025 parade 01:26:26 – China’s postwar role and evolving global ambitions Recommendations: Rana: Face-Off (podcast), Enchanted Revolution by Xiaofei Kang See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.