Special to Foreign Policy
China’s massive parade on Sept. 3 in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of Japan’s signing of its official surrender ending World War II was as notable for what it said about the current state of Asian public opinion about intra-Asian relations as it was an act of historical commemoration.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was not in attendance. Nor was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. But Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korea’s Park Geun-hye were there, as was Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain.
The attendees and the no-shows reflected the current state of public attitudes toward Japan and China throughout the region. And those views underscore the lingering regional tensions that may complicate stability in Asia for years to come.
Read more at Foreign Policy
