Some ask, as decennial parades have become routine, does this “muscle flexing” carry practical significance, given that China’s rise is now an established global consensus?
To address such doubts, one must move beyond a Western-centric lens and examine the parade from the perspectives of national destiny, institutional resilience and the global order – while also situating it within Hong Kong and Macau’s histories and realities.
This is no shallow patriotic show but a declaration that the Chinese people, whether in the impoverished past or today’s fragmented world, retain a deep national cohesion. That cohesion is tangible in the orderly, formidable ranks. The parade was a collective display that helped individuals transcend their personal anxieties, creating an emotional release and resonance with the nation’s destiny.

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What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?
What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?