This week on Sinica, I speak first with retired Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a frequent commentator on Chinese military and security affairs and a prolific writer now at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, and with Rana Mitter of the Harvard Kennedy School and author of Forgotten Ally, a book about World War II in China.
4:08 – The primary objectives behind the September 3rd parade
10:03 – China’s position in the global arms market
14:45 – The strategic importance of the new weapons on display
21:10 – China, Russia, and North Korea: strategic dynamics
33:14 – Perspectives on the China–Russia relationship
44:13 – Avoiding security dilemma spirals
50:32 – Rana Mitter: Wartime memory, national narratives, and the 2025 shift
57:06 – Narratives of China’s role in World War II
01:19:01 – The significance and performative Dimension of the 2025 parade
01:26:26 – China’s postwar role and evolving global ambitions
Recommendations:
Rana: Face-Off (podcast), Enchanted Revolution by Xiaofei Kang
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