China to hold military parade on Victory Day

China will hold a grand military parade in Beijing on Sept 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory against Japanese aggression and fascism, aiming to demonstrate China's firm resolve to uphold the achievements of World War II victory and international fairness and justice, senior officials announced on Tuesday in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping will review the troops during the parade, which will be held as part of a grand gathering to commemorate the anniversary. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver a speech at the gathering.

China has designated Sept 3 as Victory Day to mark the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Sept 2, 1945.

The forces participating in the parade will include the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, consisting of marching formations, armored columns and aerial echelons, according to Wu Zeke, deputy director general of the operation bureau of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department.

"All weapons and equipment to be reviewed are domestically produced, active-duty main battle gear," said Wu, who is also deputy head of the leading group of the parade.

They are a "concentrated display of the Chinese military's system-based combat capabilities, new-domain and new-quality combat power, and strategic deterrent strength", he added.

"The marching formations will prominently showcase the new organizational structure and deployment of services and arms after our military's reform and reorganization," he said.

The armored columns will highlight the latest achievements in equipment development, reflecting China's independent innovation capabilities in weaponry, Wu added.

"The aerial echelons will primarily demonstrate the systematized level of our air combat forces and their rapidly improving advanced combat capabilities," said Wu.

In addition, the parade will feature both traditional main combat forces and new-domain and new-quality forces, the military official said.