Economic Disparity Causes Suffering for the Common People; Beijing's Military Parade Costs 36 Billion Yuan, Satisfying Xi's Vanity?

Before the military parade scheduled for September 3, Beijing had already enforced stringent lockdown measures, with security personnel positioned every three steps and guards every five steps, creating an atmosphere of tension throughout the city. (Video screenshot)

[People News] The exact cost of the military parade in Beijing remains undisclosed by the authorities. However, data from the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of China indicates that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has spent approximately 36 billion yuan on this so-called 'grand event.' Analysts point out that while the mainland's economy is in dire straits and the populace is suffering, the government is squandering vast resources on a vanity project aimed solely at satisfying the ego of the Xi Jinping administration.

A report by Taiwan's Up Media on August 31 reveals that, based on information from the Republic of China's National Security data, the budget for personnel and training for this year's CCP military parade is around 800 million yuan. The 45 participating formations, which include personnel, vehicles, and aircraft, incur fuel and maintenance costs of about 200 million yuan. Furthermore, the expenses for maintaining stability—such as increasing the number of armed police, security maintenance in various districts, and security costs—total as much as 5 billion yuan. The estimated economic losses for the public are even more staggering. According to compiled analyses, the total expenditure by the CCP for this 'grand event' is roughly 36 billion yuan.

As the military parade approaches, the atmosphere in Beijing has become increasingly tense, with enhanced stability maintenance measures. Hotel guests are required to undergo bag checks, and armed police and special police are present everywhere. Dissenters in Beijing, similar to previous years, have been taken by the Public Security Bureau to other locations for 'tourism.' Rights defenders, dissenting scholars, and human rights lawyers across China are under strict surveillance.

Mr. Zhang, a citizen from the mainland, told Epoch Times reporters that the current situation in Beijing is chaotic, marked by martial law and expulsions. 'Inviting a large group of officials from impoverished countries while being extremely cautious towards our own citizens really gives one the impression of 'better to give to foreign friends than to our own servants.' ' 

Xi Jinping is the leader who has conducted the most military parades since the Chinese Communist Party's so-called 'reform and opening up,' and this year marks the second 'Anti-Japanese War military parade' since 2015. 

Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Taiwan National Defence Security Research Institute, stated to Epoch Times that the CCP's military parade, under the guise of commemorating the Anti-Japanese War, aims to seize the narrative control of the Anti-Japanese War from the Republic of China. Additionally, Xi Jinping seeks to use this international event to bolster his authority and counter domestic calls for his resignation. 'This extravagant spending to enhance one's image is merely a reflection of Xi Jinping's personal vanity.' 

Since the strict lockdowns imposed by the authorities during the pandemic, China's economy has been on a downward trend, local governments are heavily indebted, and there have been numerous reports of salary cuts among civil servants. With foreign capital withdrawing and businesses shutting down, a significant number of people are now unemployed. 

Shen Mingshi remarked, 'While the people are enduring severe hardships, you (the CCP) allocate a massive budget to host such a vanity event (the military parade), which is akin to setting off fireworks—providing a momentary thrill, but ultimately leaving nothing behind and returning to darkness. For the impoverished populace, this is undoubtedly unacceptable. What was intended to uplift the people's spirits has instead become a source of public discontent.' 

In 2015, Xi Jinping also held the 'Anti-Japanese War military parade' on September 3. The Hong Kong media outlet Apple Daily previously estimated that the total cost could reach as high as 21.5 billion yuan.

In September 2015, following the military parade, Professor Zhou Yongkun from the Law School of Suzhou University took to Weibo to express his disbelief regarding the rumour that "the parade expenses reached 21.5 billion". He requested the authorities to disclose the parade's expenditures, stating that it was to curb the spread of rumours, but his post was later deleted.

On September 2, 2015, the Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily published an article countering the assertion that "the military parade is a waste of resources", claiming that "ordinary people also spend money on celebratory events". However, it failed to mention that this funding comes from taxpayers and was not authorised by them. △