China held the largest military parade in its history in central Beijing, aiming to demonstrate its strength and portray its military as advanced and capable of rivaling or even surpassing that of the United States.
The parade in Tiananmen Square, which began at 9:00 a.m. Beijing time (3:00 a.m. CET), is a showcase of Chinese military power, with state-of-the-art hypersonic weapons, unmanned underwater vehicles, nuclear-capable missiles and fighter jets.
The parade, seen by many as a challenge to the West, was closely watched by Pentagon analysts, eager to learn anything about the weapons the United States might face if Chinese President Xi Jinping orders an invasion of Taiwan, which U.S. intelligence estimates could happen as early as 2027.
The first Chinese military parade in six years has been months in the making, according to the BBC.
More than 200,000 flags have been displayed across Beijing. Eight large Chinese flags fly and surround a portrait of Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China, which sits atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace and overlooks Tiananmen Square, one of the world’s largest public squares.
The parade formally marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II and China’s victory over the Japanese occupiers – 80 trumpeters were in the parade to mark the occasion.
More than 1,000 musicians were arranged in 14 rows, each representing one of the 14 years of Chinese resistance to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, which began in 1931.
Behind them, rows of seats are reserved for officials from 26 countries. Across the street, near the Parliament building, which also hosts the Chinese Communist Party congresses, two giant flower arrangements rise along the seating for about 50,000 guests.
Along with Xi, the 26 state officials included the presidents of Russia, North Korea, Belarus and Iran – Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Alexander Lukashenko and Masoud Peskov. The parade will also feature top officials from Cuba, Pakistan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Central Asian countries and others.
The only leaders from Europe were Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Although the parade formally commemorates the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in World War II and the anti-fascist struggle in the world, it is much more than that for Xi, as it is intended to confirm his status as a world leader.
Xi has had a big week – he managed to convince Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit China for the first time in seven years over the weekend, more than 20 leaders attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the largest ever, and Kim Jong Un will be the first North Korean leader to attend a Chinese military parade since 1959.
While the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit allowed Xi to project power and offer a vision for a new world order, the parade in Beijing is intended to demonstrate China’s growing ability to compete with the United States in any conflict.
China last hosted a military parade 10 years ago. It was also the first time China has staged a major military parade to commemorate the end of World War II.
Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945. It was not until 2014 that the Chinese government declared September 3, the day after Japan’s surrender, as Victory Day.
