Marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, China held a massive military parade at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, with President Xi Jinping leading the event in the presence of global leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Beijing
China projected its military strength on Wednesday with a grand parade at Tiananmen Square, showcasing its latest weaponry and underscoring President Xi Jinping’s push to present China as a dominant global power.
Thousands of soldiers marched in precise formations as military bands filled the air with martial music. Intercontinental ballistic missiles, rocket launchers, and battle tanks rolled past the stands, watched by Xi, Putin, Kim, and other world leaders.
The parade, held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, was staged against a backdrop of giant numerals “1945” and “2025” and a sea of red and green seats draped with Chinese flags. Members of the public, who had gathered since dawn, filled the square under sweltering heat, with some spectators needing assistance due to the mid-30s Celsius temperatures.
In symbolic moments, Xi, dressed in a grey Mao suit, was seen chatting and shaking hands with Putin and Kim before a group photograph. Riding an open-top black limousine down Chang’an Avenue, Xi hailed the troops with repeated calls of “Comrades, you are working hard!”
The spectacle reinforced Beijing’s message of strength and unity, with Xi flanked by foreign allies in a carefully choreographed show of power aimed at both domestic audiences and the wider world.
