China to hold military parade on Victory Day

China will hold a grand military parade in Beijing on Sept 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory against Japanese aggression and fascism, aiming to demonstrate China's firm resolve to uphold the achievements of World War II victory and international fairness and justice, senior officials announced on Tuesday in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping will review the troops during the parade, which will be held as part of a grand gathering to commemorate the anniversary. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver a speech at the gathering.

China has designated Sept 3 as Victory Day to mark the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Sept 2, 1945.

The forces participating in the parade will include the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, consisting of marching formations, armored columns and aerial echelons, according to Wu Zeke, deputy director general of the operation bureau of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department.

"All weapons and equipment to be reviewed are domestically produced, active-duty main battle gear," said Wu, who is also deputy head of the leading group of the parade.

They are a "concentrated display of the Chinese military's system-based combat capabilities, new-domain and new-quality combat power, and strategic deterrent strength", he added.

"The marching formations will prominently showcase the new organizational structure and deployment of services and arms after our military's reform and reorganization," he said.

The armored columns will highlight the latest achievements in equipment development, reflecting China's independent innovation capabilities in weaponry, Wu added.

"The aerial echelons will primarily demonstrate the systematized level of our air combat forces and their rapidly improving advanced combat capabilities," said Wu.

In addition, the parade will feature both traditional main combat forces and new-domain and new-quality forces, the military official said.

"On the basis of displaying a new generation of conventional weaponry, we have also arranged some new types of combat forces to participate, such as unmanned intelligence, underwater combat, cyber and electronic offense and defense, and hypersonic forces," Wu said.

The arrangements will reflect the Chinese military's "strong capabilities to adapt to technological development and the evolution of war patterns, and to win future wars", he added.

Wu also pointed out that the weapons and equipment to be displayed will include some used for strategic strikes, as well as advanced tactical equipment and new-quality forces that align with future forms of warfare.

"These weapons and equipment basically cover all types of forces, including command and control, reconnaissance and early warning, air defense and missile defense, firepower strike and integrated support," he said.

He also stressed that the equipment features "higher strike precision, stronger battlefield adaptability and greater combat effectiveness".

The purpose of holding the parade is to highlight the historical status of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) as the main Eastern theater of the World Anti-Fascist War and its significant contributions to the victory in the latter, he added.

The parade aims to "demonstrate China's firm resolve to safeguard the achievements of World War II victory and international fairness and justice, and its responsibility in promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humankind", Wu said.

He added that it also aims to display the PLA's firm determination and strength in resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and in unswervingly upholding world peace.

Hu Heping, executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that former and incumbent leaders from relevant countries and international organizations, as well as foreign diplomatic envoys in China, will be invited to attend the commemorative events.

Representatives of international friends who contributed to China's victory against Japanese aggression, or their descendants, will also receive invitations, Hu added.

According to Hu, China will host a series of commemorative activities nationwide starting in July. These will include awarding commemorative medals to living veterans, comrades and military leaders who participated in the war against Japanese aggression, or to their descendants, and holding a gathering around Oct 25 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's recovery from Japanese occupation.