America’s envoy to Beijing is expected to skip China’s military parade next week, joining what appears to be a concerted effort by Western missions to opt out of the grand event despite Chinese pressure.
The South China Morning Post has learned from multiple sources that US ambassador David Perdue is unlikely to attend the parade that China is holding in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the end of World War II.
It is unclear if the US embassy would instead dispatch another diplomat or a military attaché to the event.
The Post has reached out to the embassy for comment.
The move represents a downgrade from Washington’s representation at the inaugural parade Beijing held a decade ago to mark the 70th anniversary of the war’s end, when then-ambassador Max Baucus attended.
