Beijing Briefing: 8 September 2025

Chinese media continue to discuss last week's military parade

There continues to be much media on last week's 3 September parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Outlets are predominantly focused on China's advancements in aerospace technology, and messaging surrounding the event.

State media are particularly keen to highlight the presence of female fighter pilots at last week's parade.

Official broadcaster CCTV is running an interview with a female pilot under the age of 30 who took part in last week's military parade. It highlights that Tian Jing is "one of the first female J-16 pilots" of the Air Force Aviation Corps, and shares footage of her in-flight, and talking about being "responsible for precision-guided weapons".

The People's Daily is also sharing footage of Tian Jing flying, and in a separate report, carries a short interview with female Y-20 pilot, Tang Hongmei. It highlights her saying "we are all fighters, regardless of whether we're men or women".

CCTV is also carrying a video biography of Song Wencong, the chief designer of the J-10 fighter jet. Development of the aircraft first began in the mid-1980s, and J-10 planes debuted specifically as demonstration flight aircraft during last week's parade.

The People's Daily today has interviewed military professor Zhang Chi, and shares footage of him saying the presence of the DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile at last week's parade "went viral" due to its "global strike range".

The independent South China Morning Post highlights that as a whole, last week's ceremony showcased "new space, cyber and information warfare". It speaks to a think tank researcher, who says that the equipment on show demonstrated China's army had "become a force capable of operating in all domains".

Some independent media are today commenting on actions Taiwan is taking, given China's recent show of military force.

The South China Morning Post reports that Taiwan is "moving swiftly to expand its long-range strike abilities with a new class of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)". It says there has been "urgency… since Beijing showcased cutting-edge uncrewed systems" during last week's parade.

Taiwan's Central News Agency today says Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim has "underscored the importance of strengthening national defence… while overseeing the delivery of the fourth 1000-tonne class patrol cutter 'Hualien' to the Coast Guard Administration". The agency says that this vessel "is equipped with the Zhenhai rocket system that can be fitted with 42 2.75-inch rockets or flares", and can carry out night-time search and rescue missions.

The liberal Taiwanese outlet Liberty Times has an interview today with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who says that last week's parade was a platform for China to "continue to strengthen its military power and gather forces with countries such as Russia and North Korea". The opposition news site Taiwan News observes that Lai called China a "threat to world peace".

The Chinese state newspaper Global Times meanwhile interviews Lv Lishi, a retired Taiwanese navy captain, saying Taiwan's military power is "incomparable" to China's, and that "many Taiwanese people don't want to face up to" this and should "stop deceiving" themselves.

The paper notes Lv was invited to attend last week's ceremony, adding that he said the equipment on show was not presented to "deal with Taiwan" or serve as a "deterrence", but rather "a symbol of the mainland's pursuit of peace".

A few articles are summarising how other countries have responded to the parade. The Global Times has a piece saying Japan "closely watched" the parade, given China's history with Japan during the war. It says some in the country were "expressing awe at the spectacle", while others were "showing wariness" at China's military advancements.

The China Daily has an editorial that some Western observers viewed the parade as "anti-Western". The author says on the contrary that it was "strategically distinct", and that this "oversimplifies the nature and intent of the events". They also say that Western governments have chosen "short-term signalling", rather than "strategic engagement" with China, which have led to cooler ties.

The Xinhua News Agency stresses that President Xi Jinping made comments during the ceremony that promoted a "more just, prosperous world" and the importance of safeguarding "nations across the world treat[ing] each other as equals, liv[ing] in harmony and mutually support[ing] one another".

The Global Times stresses that Xi's words and actions have the blessings of those who previously fought in the war. The paper speaks to a 95-year-old army veteran, Luo Jinghui, who describes shaking hands with Xi at last week's ceremony as "the happiest and most fulfilling moment of my life".

"We must continue to strive; build and develop the Chinese nation even better, and more outstanding contributions to our country and world peace," it quotes him as saying.

China sanctions Japanese lawmaker Seki Hei

Leading media are highlighting today that China has sanctioned Seki Hei, a Chinese-born Japanese lawmaker who has become a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party.

The South China Morning Post reports that Seki – who is known in China as Shi Peng – was born in Sichuan province in 1962. It says he grew "disillusioned with the Chinese government after the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989" and "became a naturalised Japanese citizen in 2007".

The paper notes that during his run for a seat on the Japanese House of Councillors election in July, Seki "called for a tougher stance on Beijing", and adds that he had earlier ruffled feathers in China for calling for a Japanese boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

The Global Times newspaper quotes Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian saying that Seki has "betrayed his roots, sold his conscience, and colluded with anti-China forces to stir up trouble". "Those who seek personal gain at the cost of betraying their ancestors will inevitably reap the bitter consequences," Lin said.

Lin told his regular press conference that Seki had made "extremely negative remarks on issues related to Taiwan, the Diaoyu Islands [Senkaku Islands], history, Xizang [Tibet], Xinjiang and Hong Kong".

The China News Service agency reported that the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Seki's actions "seriously violate the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and the one-China principle, constitute grave interference in China's internal affairs, and severely undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

The People's Daily says that from today, Seki's assets will be frozen within China, and that he will be prohibited from engaging in transactions or cooperation with all Chinese organisations and individuals. He and his immediate family members will also be denied entry into Hong Kong and Macau.

Typhoon Tapah makes landfall, affecting southern China

Many outlets are reporting on the arrival of Typhoon Tapah, which made landfall this morning off the coast of south China's Guangdong province.

Xinhua News Agency says that this is the 16th typhoon this year and that a level IV alert has been issued for flooding – the lowest on a four-tier system.

The Paper and Beijing News are running livestreams of extended coverage on the typhoon. Beijing News says that today and tomorrow, Guangdong and nearby provinces Fujian and Hainan, will see heavy-to-torrential rain.

CCTV has been running weather forecasts on the typhoon and urging people to "take precautions". It warns that the typhoon's arrival will be accompanied by "strong winds, heavy rains and high tides".

Schools have closed today in the cities of Jiangmen, Maoming and Zhuhai, and train and ferry journeys have been suspended, Xinhua adds. A separate Xinhua report says that some 41,000 people have been evacuated from Jiangmen, and that emergency shelters have been erected today in the city of Yangjiang.

Taiwan's Central News Agency reports that the typhoon has disrupted flights between Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, all areas affected by the typhoon.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post is running a live page of news developments, given its close proximity to Guangdong.

The paper highlights that the city issued a T8 alert yesterday – with T1 being the lowest and T10 the highest – in line with the arrival of Typhoon Tapah. It reports that schools and kindergartens across Hong Kong have closed today as a result of the storm, and that train and ferry transportation has similarly been subject to suspensions.

The paper adds that by-elections to select members of the committee responsible for selecting Hong Kong's leader took place yesterday amid inclement weather due to the storm. However, it says that despite the conditions, more than 3,500 registered voters turned out – 97% of eligible registered voters.

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