Views from China and Taiwan

Source: BBC News

Published: Sep 3, 2025

A Chinese state media ex-editor and a Taiwanese political scientist have been sharing their views with BBC following Xi's parade at the heart of Beijing.

For Wang Wen, former chief opinion editor for Chinese state media The Global Times, today's parade was a missed opportunity of Western leaders.

“The West lost an opportunity to witness history and... to better understand and observe China’s rising military power and strategic resolve up closely," he said.

Of all the major Western countries, only EU member Slovakia is represented on the head of government or state level.

Taiwanese political scientist Wen-Ti Sung, meanwhile, said the grand parade would surely be a concern for Taiwan.

Tuesday’s event puts to bed recent rumours about disorder within China’s military, projecting an image of "political unity" in China, with rank and file soldiers seen thanking Xi in a "pledge of loyalty from the military", Sung says.

Beijing has long vowed to “re-unify” self-ruled Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force.