Obama sought as guest for China's war parade, but China unsure about Abe
US president will be invited to second world war commemoration but Beijing still undecided on asking Japan's Shinzo Abe, senior envoy says
China will invite US President Barack Obama to attend a military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war, but it has not decided if Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should also be asked to attend, the nation's senior diplomats have said.
On the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC) yesterday, Vice-Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said China would soon send invitations to leaders of foreign nations and international organisations for the parade to be held in September.
"This is an important commemoration," Cheng said. "But whether Obama will attend depends on his schedule."
In a government work report presented at the NPC opening session, Premier Li Keqiang said China would work with other nations to uphold "the victory of the second world war and international justice".
"China is willing to work hand in hand with all other countries to sustain enduring peace and build a more prosperous world," he said.
In addition to Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, are expected to be invited.
But Cheng Yonghua, China's envoy to Tokyo, said on the sidelines of the session they were still "studying" whether Abe should be invited for the parade. "We are still looking into it," the envoy said. "We are concerned about Japan's attitude towards history, and whether Japan has reflected on its past aggression."
