China to showcase military might at Victory Day Parade

China is set to hold a military parade on Sept. 3 marking the 80th anniversary of its victory in the Anti-Japanese War and the global anti-fascist struggle. The event is expected to serve as a showcase of the country’s military strength to the world.

The parade, to be held in the morning at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, will last about 70 minutes. Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech from the Tiananmen rostrum before other world leaders. After his address, tens of thousands of Chinese troops and their weapons, organized into 45 formations, will march across the square, with President Xi, who also serves as chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewing the forces.

The event will highlight China’s latest military hardware, including Dongfeng (DF) ballistic missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland, J-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, extra-large unmanned underwater vehicles (XLUUVs), and AI-powered stealth drones such as the Feihong (FH)-97.

Wu Zeke, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for the Military Parade, said at a press briefing on Aug. 24 that the parade would showcase new operational capabilities built on next-generation conventional weapons, including unmanned systems, underwater operations, network and electronic warfare, and hypersonic technologies.

Bloomberg reported on Aug. 26 that China’s decision to prominently display its latest, near-classified weapons at the parade is being interpreted as a message to the Trump administration, which has been strengthening measures to counter China. Bloomberg also noted that the show of force may be aimed at promoting the sale of Chinese weapons to allies such as Russia.


Chul-Jung Kim tnf@donga.com