Chinese troops will march through Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in a grand military parade featuring aerial flypasts and cutting-edge weaponry to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, officials announced Tuesday.
The commemoration, set for September 3, will spotlight the country’s resistance against imperial Japan during the 1930s and 1940s, a brutal conflict that claimed millions of Chinese lives and merged with the global war after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Beijing has increasingly used wartime anniversaries to reinforce patriotic sentiment and underscore the Communist Party’s narrative of resilience and national revival.
President Xi Jinping will inspect the troops during the parade, which will include marching formations, armored columns, aircraft flyovers, and advanced weapons systems, according to Wu Zeke, an official from China’s Central Military Commission.
The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend, and Chinese officials say other global leaders are also expected to be present.
The event will highlight “new types of combat forces, including unmanned and intelligent equipment,” state news agency Xinhua reported. Officials did not provide specifics but said the display will feature domestically produced, high-precision systems designed for future warfare.
Wu said the parade is intended to strengthen national unity and rally public support around President Xi and the Communist Party, bringing the country “closer to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
A legacy of conflict
Japan’s full-scale invasion of China in 1937, following earlier incursions in the northeast, led to one of the bloodiest chapters of the Second World War. The conflict ended with Japan’s surrender in 1945, but China soon entered a civil war that concluded with the Communist Party’s rise to power in 1949.
China’s wartime history continues to shape its foreign policy, especially its complex relationship with Japan.
A similar event in 2015 marking the 70th anniversary of the war’s end featured a 70-gun salute, thousands of marching troops, tanks, missiles, and a massive aerial display. Authorities closed roads, shut down factories, and cleared skies to stage the meticulously choreographed celebration.
Tuesday’s announcement comes just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the largest American military parade in decades to mark his 79th birthday.
AFP
