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Speakers:

Major General Wu Zeke, deputy director of the Leading Group Office of Military Parade and deputy director general of the Operations Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission

Major General Xu Guizhong, executive deputy director of the Commanding Office of Military Parade of the PLA Central Theater Command and deputy director general of the Political Work Department of the PLA Central Theater Command

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Aug. 20, 2025

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. A grand military parade will be held on Sept. 3. Today we are very pleased to have with us Major General Wu Zeke, deputy director of the Leading Group Office of Military Parade and deputy director general of the Operations Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, and Major General Xu Guizhong, executive deputy director of the Commanding Office of Military Parade of the PLA Central Theater Command and deputy director general of the Political Work Department of the PLA Central Theater Command. They will brief you on preparations for the military parade and take your questions.

Now, I will give the floor to Mr. Wu for his briefing.

Wu Zeke:

Friends from the media, good morning. First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks and best wishes to all the friends attending this morning's press conference and to all those who care about and support the work of the military parade.

On Sept. 3, we will hold a grand military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. This military parade will be the first of its kind since the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core united and led the entire Party, the military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to embark on the country's new journey to pursue Chinese modernization on all fronts. It also marks a brand-new demonstration of the people's armed forces as they strive to achieve the military's centenary goal. It is an important manifestation of how the great spirit of the War of Resistance and the great national spirit are being carried forward in the new era. It is a solemn declaration of upholding and advocating the correct historical view of World War II, resolutely safeguarding the post-war international order, and firmly defending international fairness and justice.

The military parade will proceed in two parts, a military review and a march-past of troops, and will last around 70 minutes. During the military review, troops participating in the parade will line up in formations along Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, and will be reviewed by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission. During the march-past, airborne flag-guarding echelons, foot formations, battle flag formations, armament columns, and aerial echelons will pass through or fly over Tian'anmen Square.

This parade will involve a total of 45 formations and echelons. The airborne flag-guarding echelons will be composed of multiple formations of various types of helicopters. Through such methods as guarding flags, forming characters and hanging slogans, they will demonstrate that the country and the armed forces have grown stronger under the leadership of the CPC, and the great spirit of the War of Resistance lives on with enduring legacy eight decades later, proclaiming to the world the great truth that justice will prevail, peace will prevail, and the people will prevail. The foot formations will mix "old" and "new." The "old" refers to troops with origins in the War of Resistance, with the personnel mainly drawn from forces descended from the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army, the Northeast United Resistance Army, and the South China Guerrillas, as well as militias from provinces where resistance base areas were located. The "new" refers to the new layout of the structure of the military capabilities, including the armed forces system combining three components. They will showcase their well-disciplined military bearing, confident strides and high morale during the review, collectively reflecting their new look under efforts to enhance political loyalty in the military in the new era and the exemplary image of the people's armed forces. The battle flag formations represent the feats and honor earned through bloodshed during the War of Resistance. Each battle flag was forged with the blood and lives of the war heroes, and carries a chapter of the moving and heroic history of the war. From flags of countless heroes and numerous honors, we distinguish between different periods, regions and military units, selecting those with typical significance. Officers and soldiers from respective units will hold the flags during the review, symbolizing the continuation of the great spirit of the War of Resistance and the fearless and courageous advance of the people's armed forces. The armament columns will be organized in a manner reflecting their functions in real combat and include groups for land combat, maritime combat, air defense and anti-missile operations, information warfare, unmanned combat, logistics and equipment support, and strategic strike. Many of the armaments represent the latest developments in the evolution of modern warfare, and some are major national weapons that fully demonstrate our military's strong capability to win modern wars. The aerial echelons, organized in a modular and systematic manner, will consist of advanced early warning and command aircraft, fighter jets, bombers, transport aircraft and more. They basically cover the main active-duty aircraft types of the Chinese military. Many are high-profile systems that have attracted wide public attention, and some will make their public debut, fully showcasing the leapfrog development of our military's air combat capabilities.

In addition, core musicians from the PLA Honor Guard and other units have been brought together to form a joint military band. In front of the Monument to the People's Heroes, they will perform familiar classics from the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, recalling those arduous and extraordinary years and commemorating the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for national independence and freedom. Some newly composed pieces that reflect the spirit of the times and the image of a strong military will also be performed in Tian'anmen Square for the first time.

At the last press conference, I outlined several features of the parade's overall design. Today, I will further elaborate on the significance of the parade in four main aspects. The first is to affirm the firm belief of the military in following the Party's command. This parade is a concentrated expression of the military's new achievements in political development and its fresh gains in political training. The troops have maintained firm political awareness, high revolutionary enthusiasm and a vigorous spirit, and are always ready to be reviewed by the CPC Central Committee and President Xi. They remain unswervingly loyal to, supportive of, protective of and defensive of the core, making themselves a heroic armed force that the Party and the people can fully trust. Second, to highlight the distinct theme of commemorating the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. War is a mirror, helping people appreciate the preciousness of peace. We commemorate the victory as a way to uphold peace. In this parade, heroic units from the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression have been assembled, raising the banners of honor and merit from that war and showcasing the achievements of China's national defense and military modernization in the new era. It will demonstrate to the world that the Chinese people remember history, cherish peace and resolutely uphold the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Third, to showcase the new structure of the armed forces. President Xi decided to reorganize and establish the Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force, and Joint Logistics Support Force, marking the creation of a new structure of military services and branches: "four services + four branches." On the eve of Aug. 1 this year, President Xi signed an order to unveil the flag patterns of the four branches, marking the establishment of the People's Army flag system for the new era, with the Aug. 1 flag as the centerpiece and the branch flags as supplements. In this parade, with the flags of the Party, nation and military at the forefront, the parade formations will display the flags of the military and armed police force together, marking the first public presentation of the military's new structure. Fourth, it demonstrates the military's confidence and capability to win battles. The weapons and equipment in this parade are all selected from domestically produced, currently active main battle systems with many new types making their debut. Both ground and air equipment are arranged in integrated and combined formations. Some strategic assets from land, sea and air bases, as well as high-precision strike, unmanned and counter-unmanned systems, are being presented to the public for the first time, fully demonstrating the military's strong capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and contribute to world peace.

Currently, preparations for the parade are virtually complete. All participating officers and service personnel will receive the review of the Party and the people in high spirits, joining in marking Sept. 3 as a day of victory remembered by people around the world.

That is all for my introduction. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Wu, for the introduction. Now I'll give the floor to Mr. Xu.