China's honor guards train relentlessly for upcoming military parade

China's honor guard unit is undergoing rigorous trainings for the upcoming military parade that China will hold to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Leading the troop formations at the military parade on Sept 3 will be the guards of honor, who will be the first to pass the Tian'anmen Square. They all come from the Honor Guard Battalion of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Many of them have previously participated in military parades in Russia, Vietnam, and Belarus.

"As the first formation, we'll lead the troop formations in marching. Therefore, our pace -- the stride length and speed -- will set the rhythm for all the formations behind us. So in our daily training, we not just focus on movements, we also train our mental resilience, proficiency in movements, and uniformity, more comprehensively than other formations do," said Shi Bin, a flag bearer.

In addition to Shi, Wang Zihe and Xu Zedong will also be the flag bearers during the military parade. The trio, all born in the 1990s, will carry the Party, national and military flags respectively. Prior to this, they each have completed over 300 missions.

Wang said that he feels honored to carry the Party flag when marching past the Tian'anmen Square.

"As a Party member, being able to carry the Party flag when marching past the Tian'anmen Square is the greatest honor and an immense responsibility for me. My grandfather and great-grandfather both fought in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, so I have a deep understand of the weight this flag carries. I want to show them the spirit of Chinese soldiers in the new era, the unwavering character and courageous momentum of the Chinese military," said Wang.

"I swore an oath to the military flag when I enlisted. Now I have the chance to fulfill that promise in action. In this mission, I will take up the military flag once held by revolutionary forerunners and ensure that it will fly high in my hands," Xu said.

Selection for the parade is fiercely competitive. Male candidates must stand between 183 and 193 centimeters tall and weigh around 85 kilograms, while female candidates must meet similarly strict criteria.

Physical qualifications are only the beginning. Performance evaluations and psychological resilience determine who earns the right to march.

"Every step is 75 centimeters long, so each of our steps must be exactly 75 centimeters, not 74 centimeters nor 77 centimeters. We repeat the movement many times to meet the standard. The stride we make is about speed, strength, and standard too. Each stride should be right on the mark," said Wang Ranran, one of the honor guards participating in the parade.

As the parade draws near, the honor guards continue their training with unwavering intensity.

"Everyone carries a sense of belief in their heart. We keep going in mutual encouragement, and gradually we develop a shared strength. In time, we think that the intensity of this training is something we can endure," said Zhao Zhao, another honor guard to participate in the parade.

China's honor guards train relentlessly for upcoming military parade

China's honor guards train relentlessly for upcoming military parade

International figures have strongly criticized recent statements made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, calling them a blatant violation of international law and an unacceptable interference in China's internal affairs.

At a Diet meeting on Nov 7, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

The remarks, which challenge China's sovereignty, have drawn sharp rebuke from observers across the globe, who warn such actions threaten regional stability.

Ruben Guzzetti, director of the Argentine Institute of Geopolitical Studies, said that "a substantial body of prior documentation establishes that Takaichi's statements constitute undue interference in China's internal affairs and a violation of its sovereignty. This is now clear, and it represents a very significant threat to international peace."

Echoing this sentiment, David Monyae, director of the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, contextualized the issue within historical memory.

"Given the history, the fascism and the damage that Japan caused, not just in China but the whole of Asia and the world during the Second World War, with all those atrocities, what we want is that Japan starts to recognize and starts stating clearly all the atrocities that it caused and to show a sign that it is reversing and it is not going to do what it did in the past. I think for Japan to bring back an imperialistic colonial mentality, it's something that is unacceptable," he said firmly.

The criticism also came from political figures. Tshilidzi Bethuel Munyai, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa, condemned the Japanese leader's statements as "reckless, absurd, and an act of transgression, blatantly undermining the deployed diplomatic achievements between the two countries."

"It erodes the foundation of political trust between China and Japan. It signals very reckless right-wing forces within Japan and the broader international community. By the way, China has firm resolve to safeguard the national sovereignty and as well as territorial integrity," said Munyai.

Amidst this international backlash, experts assert that China's demand for a retraction of Takaichi's remarks is fully justified. The consensus among critics is clear: such provocations undermine the foundations of international law and bilateral relations, and must be withdrawn to prevent further escalation.

Int'l voices condemn Japanese PM's remarks as unacceptable violation of China's sovereignty