The joint military band of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will play both classic works and newly composed music pieces during the upcoming grand military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, a military officer said on Wednesday.
Speaking to the press, Xu Guizhong, a senior officer from the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said the joint military band's performance for the parade on Sept 3 will fuse classic resistance-era melodies with newly composed works, bridging past and present.
"In designing the repertoire, we have adhered to the integration of political significance, contemporary relevance, ceremonial gravitas and artistic excellence. We have orchestrated classic and typical music pieces such as Along the Songhua River and Defend the Yellow River alongside newly composed works that capture the spirit of the times, evoking both the trials and glories of the 14-year war of bloody resistance while underscoring the majestic stride of the PLA in the new era," said Xu.
"For the band formation, we have arrayed in 14 rows to symbolize the 14 years' war of resistance, with 80 trumpeters in the front row marking the 80th anniversary of victory. This arrangement weaves historical elements together with contemporary characteristics," he added.
Military band to blend classics with new works at China's V-Day parade: officer
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.
Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.
Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.
"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.
The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.
Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar
