Rows of neatly dressed soldiers marched in formation under the hot Beijing sun on Wednesday as China rehearsed for a military parade scheduled for September 3 in Tiananmen Square. The event will mark 80 years since the end of World War II and will be inspected by President Xi Jinping , reported AFP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders are also expected to attend.
At a training ground in northwest Beijing, troops in white, green and navy-blue uniforms practiced under shouted instructions. Soldiers in their twenties stood in pin-straight lines, sweat soaking through their fatigues. “China often uses the term ‘steel-gun rose’ to describe its female soldiers,” said Wang Ranran, an army guard. “The combination of roses and guns, we really like it.”
Lan Yu, a second-level staff sergeant, said the rehearsals were not long, as parade training was part of their daily routine. “Strict, difficult and practical—that has always been the army’s tradition,” he said.
Major General Wu Zeke, an official at China’s military commission, told reporters that the parade will feature new domestically produced equipment, including strategic heavy weapons, hypersonic precision systems , and unmanned and counter-unmanned platforms, making their first public appearance. “All of the weapons and equipment taking part in this review were selected from domestically produced, currently active main battle systems, with a significant proportion being newly unveiled equipment,” Wu said.
The 70-minute parade will also include marching ground troops, armored columns, aerial echelons, and other advanced systems. Wu said it will “fully showcase our military’s powerful capability to prevail in modern war.”
The commemoration comes as China continues to highlight its role in the fight against imperial Japan during the 1930s and 40s, when millions of Chinese were killed. The Communist Party has organized several large-scale events in recent years to mark its wartime resistance.
China’s defense budget was increased by 7.2 per cent in March 2025. While it is the world’s second-largest military budget, Beijing’s defense spending remains behind that of the United States, its primary strategic competitor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders are also expected to attend.
At a training ground in northwest Beijing, troops in white, green and navy-blue uniforms practiced under shouted instructions. Soldiers in their twenties stood in pin-straight lines, sweat soaking through their fatigues. “China often uses the term ‘steel-gun rose’ to describe its female soldiers,” said Wang Ranran, an army guard. “The combination of roses and guns, we really like it.”
Lan Yu, a second-level staff sergeant, said the rehearsals were not long, as parade training was part of their daily routine. “Strict, difficult and practical—that has always been the army’s tradition,” he said.
Major General Wu Zeke, an official at China’s military commission, told reporters that the parade will feature new domestically produced equipment, including strategic heavy weapons, hypersonic precision systems , and unmanned and counter-unmanned platforms, making their first public appearance. “All of the weapons and equipment taking part in this review were selected from domestically produced, currently active main battle systems, with a significant proportion being newly unveiled equipment,” Wu said.
The 70-minute parade will also include marching ground troops, armored columns, aerial echelons, and other advanced systems. Wu said it will “fully showcase our military’s powerful capability to prevail in modern war.”
The commemoration comes as China continues to highlight its role in the fight against imperial Japan during the 1930s and 40s, when millions of Chinese were killed. The Communist Party has organized several large-scale events in recent years to mark its wartime resistance.
China’s defense budget was increased by 7.2 per cent in March 2025. While it is the world’s second-largest military budget, Beijing’s defense spending remains behind that of the United States, its primary strategic competitor.
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