"No force can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation forging ahead."
— Chinese President Xi Jinping, Oct. 1
Japan and the rest of the region watched warily as China marked the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China with a symbolic military parade and President Xi Jinping reviewing troops in Beijing on Tuesday. With giant portraits of communist leaders Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin carried through the parade streets, the celebratory event served to firmly place Xi alongside the fathers of modern China.