Beijing, Park will participate in celebrations for 70th anniversary of end of World War II
Seoul (AsiaNews) - The South Korean President Park Geun-hye will participate in Beijing’s celebrations of China’s victory over Japan during World War II in early September. Park, a close ally of the United States, is one of the few world leaders to have accepted China’s invitation. It is not yet clear, however, if she will be present for the impressive assist military parade in the Chinese capital to be held on September 3.
The international community sees the event as a "show of force" by Beijing. Many heads of state and government have declined, while the Russian leader Vladimir Putin has confirmed his presence.
During the visit - the will last three days, September 2 to 4 - the Park is due to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks. The event could also be an occasion to bring together the leaders of the two Koreas, but Pyongyang (close ally of China) has not yet made any plans to participate. Similarly it is "unlikely", according to government sources, that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will attend.
From the internal point of view, South Korean newspapers write today, Park’s decision is not surprising: Seoul and Beijing share a historic aversion to Japan and have collaborated on several occasions to restrict its economic and political influence in the area. The decision was rather less obvious from the international point of view, given the close ties between South Korea and the United States. The same Park will make a state visit to Washington on 16 October 2015.
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