China will hold a massive military parade in Beijing next month to mark 80 years since the end of World War II and reveal its latest weapons to the world for the first time, state media have reported.
The September 3 event will feature hundreds of advanced aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, as well as ground forces equipped with modern tanks, missile systems, and unmanned drones. Chinese officials said the parade will demonstrate the country’s ability to fight a modern war on land, sea, and air.
According to the Global Times, all the equipment on display will be made in China and currently in use by the military. Among the expected highlights are anti-ship missile systems, new-generation tanks, hypersonic weapons, and military trucks equipped with drone-jamming technology. Early warning aircraft designed to protect China’s aircraft carriers may also appear.
The parade will involve 45 groups of soldiers and will last about 70 minutes as they march past President Xi Jinping in Tiananmen Square. Xi will be joined by foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also attended the last major parade in 2015.
China has already tightened security in central Beijing, setting up checkpoints, diverting traffic, and closing shopping centers during rehearsals.
Analysts say the United States and its allies will be watching closely to assess China’s growing military strength, especially its expanding missile capabilities and hypersonic technology, which could challenge American power in the Pacific.
The “Victory Day” parade commemorates Japan’s surrender in 1945, which ended World War II in Asia. This will be only the second such event since 2015, signaling the importance Beijing places on both its wartime history and its rising global influence.
