Updated

The European Union's ambassador to Beijing says top officials from the organization are unlikely to attend a Chinese military parade marking the anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia, amid uneasiness about such displays of armed might in the tense region.

Hans Dietmar Schweisgut said Friday that questions remain about whether the event will encourage reconciliation or further stir resentment, a reference to China's ongoing feud with Japan over wartime history and competing claims to islands in the East China Sea.

So far, only Russia has confirmed it will take part in the Sept. 3 parade.

Sensitivities also surround the venue for the event — Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing where the Chinese army conducted a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989.