China's WWII military parade a show of strength

BEIJING: Soldiers will march, gleaming hardware will roll, and warplanes will fly above Tiananmen Square at China's WWII anniversary parade, but major Western leaders are shunning the show as Beijing assumes an increasingly assertive role on the global stage.

Chinese authorities are pulling out all the stops for Thursday's commemoration, mobilising hundreds of thousands of Beijing citizens, imposing traffic restrictions -- including closing the capital's airports -- and curtailing pollution-spewing factories and vehicles to try to ensure blue skies.