Today's Headlines and Commentary by Cody M. Poplin Thursday September 3rd, 2015 at 3:02 PM
Today's Headlines and Commentary by Cody M. Poplin Thursday September 3 rd , 2015 at 3:02 PM Lawfare - Hard National Security Choices 1 Share Tanks returned to Tiananmen Square earlier today, but this time to celebrate an ascendant China as well as the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II . With fighter jets and helicopters soaring overhead and tanks, troops, and ballistic missiles rolling past, China’s President Xi Jinping presided over a parade that served both to promote his version of Chinese nationalism and underscore an ambition to make China the pre-eminent power in Asia. The event, which was controversial among many Western democracies, was attended by foreign dignitaries including Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. During the parade, Xi announced that the People’s Liberation Army will cut 300,000 troops . While framed as an attempt to demonstrate