China holds epic V-Day parade

National Flag Guard raise the national flag during the military parade at the Tian’anmen Square on Sept 3, 2015. [Photo/IC]

A PARADE TO REMEMBER

As he reviewed the troops in a black open-top Red Flag limousine, Xi Jinping greeted his "comrades" from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police who stood to attention down the length of Beijing's magnificent Chang'an Avenue.

"Follow the Party! Fight to win! Forge exemplary conduct!" over 10,000 servicemen and women saluted Xi and exclaimed.

At the height of the celebrations, helicopters carrying China's national flag and the PLA flag drew the curtains for the much-anticipated military parade. Another 20 choppers flew in a formation that spelt "70" in the air, followed by seven training aircraft trailing colored smoke.

On the ground, WWII veterans, chest bristling with medals, rode in convertibles amidst tides of applause.

From afar, the saluting veterans looked straightfaced but spirited. Only the occasional shake of hands, magnified on the big screens that stood on the two sides of Tian'anmen Square, betrayed their inner thrill.

Xi and all the other audience stood up as they passed by.

For many of the country's remaining WWII veterans, this anniversary could be the last they saw.

Ninety-five-year-old Zhang Yuanhe, in grey military uniform specially made for the parade, was gratified at the invitation to take part in the parade.

"It's a great honor," said Zhang who joined the Communist Party of China (CPC)-led Red Army at the age of 15.

More notably, veterans from counter-Japanese aggression forces led by CPC during WWII were joined in a Chinese military parade for the first time by their counterparts from the Kuomintang (KMT) forces who fought the same enemies 70 years ago.

Many of the KMT-led forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the CPC. Confrontation between the mainland and the island in the following decades made it impossible for the two sides to acknowledge each other's contribution to the war.

The situation has begun to change in recent years with the improvement of relations across the Taiwan Strait.

Fu Longqian, 92, was among the KMT veterans invited to Thursday's celebrations.

"The country didn't forget us and it's a very high courteous reception," said the former artillerist who braved the gunfire of significant battles, including the Changsha Battle, the most time-consuming one between the KMT army and Japanese invaders that saw the largest-scale troops from both sides.

"It's the most memorable experience to fight against Japanese aggression in my life," he added.