The military parade to commemorate World War II on Thursday has drawn world attention. China clearly displayed its military power as well as its pursuit of peace at the same time - during the parade, President Xi Jinping announced the cut of 300,000 soldiers.

The parade is first of all a great success domestically. Social media, which is usually full of complaints and sarcasm, saw huge waves of pride and joy for the national event.

The parade appeared to be a show of power that lasted only an hour or so. But for Chinese society, it is a moment to pause for reflection over the path we have taken in the past decades.

 If China wants to walk far, it cannot build up enemies all around. Xi's stressing that China will not seek hegemony or expansion is not just diplomatic rhetoric. Such thinking has long been in the bones of the Chinese people.

Peace is not the language of the weak, nor the right of the weak. It is also true for China. Although the country is not at its peak point in terms of national power, at least we have shrugged off poverty and weakness, and the country is growing strong.

China has not engaged in a war with a foreign country for decades. We have been focusing on domestic development and reform. China's humbleness has been a key factor in regional peace.

The parade has become a showcase for China's military power, and such transparency is becoming indispensable. Some countries are eager to learn about China's capability fpr strategic strikes. But they may feel uncomfortable when knowing the truth.

Such feeling is natural, and necessary. Only by clearly learning about China's rising military capability can the mainstream societies of countries like the US and Japan better learn about China and therefore reshape their attitudes toward China. This will contribute to lasting peace in the Asia-Pacific.

China is a country that has rich experience in how to coexist peacefully with the world when it becomes powerful. Now the country is also working toward that end despite outside anxiety.

The sufferings in the past century did not bring a vengeful desire for China. China's desire for international democracy will not became a drive for hegemony, Chinese people do not want their country to become a new empire.

We know the outside world may remain skeptical until China proves its goodwill. Some Western countries are making unfair requests to China in order to maximize their interests. But peace and stability need respect for the truth.

China's parade is a mirror. It reflects the solidity of Chinese society. In the meantime, it also reflects the huge potential as well as difficulties in joining hands with other countries.