China held a massive military parade in central Beijing on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II, pledging the country's commitment to peaceful development in a world still fraught with turbulence and uncertainties.

Towering structures shaped like the Great Wall, crowned with giant numerals "1945" and "2025," stood in Tian'anmen Square, symbolizing the Chinese nation's courage and solidarity in resisting foreign aggression.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a grand gathering 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, along with other foreign leaders on Tian'anmen Rostrum in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wearing a dark grey, high-collar suit, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, oversaw the parade and reviewed the troops.

Standing beside Xi on Tian'anmen Rostrum were Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, along with more than 20 other foreign leaders, some of whom attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held in the city of Tianjin earlier this week.

Representatives of people who had supported China's resistance endeavors, or their family members -- from countries such as Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada -- were invited to the event.

Preventing historical tragedies from recurring

This was the second time since 2015 that China has held a military parade to mark the hard-won victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The commemorative event began at 9 a.m. with an 80-gun salute, followed by a solemn flag-raising ceremony, and a chorus of the national anthem.

Helicopters flew over the square carrying banners that read "Justice Prevails," "Peace Prevails," and "The People Prevail." The high-morale, well-equipped soldiers marched along the Chang'an (Eternal Peace) Avenue in tight, powerful formations, their faces lit with confidence and pride. Columns of new tanks, artillery and other military equipment rumbled through the square.

Xi delivered a speech before the parade. Highlighting the significance of the victory 80 years ago, Xi said it marks China's first complete victory against foreign aggression in modern times.

Xi noted that the Chinese people made a major contribution to the salvation of human civilization and the defense of world peace with immense sacrifice in the war. He called on nations to "eliminate the root cause of war and prevent historical tragedies from recurring."

Japan officially surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945, by signing the Instrument of Surrender. China designated Sept. 3 as Victory Day.

Xi attended a military parade held in Moscow in May to mark the WWII victory in Europe. China and the Soviet Union served as the mainstay of resistance against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making pivotal contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

China was the first country to rise against fascist aggression with the longest-lasting resistance that began in 1931. The country tied down and struck over half of Japan's overseas forces, at the cost of 35 million military and civilian casualties -- accounting for around one-third of all WWII casualties worldwide.

Yokichi Kobayashi, son of a Japanese veteran who was a POW-turned soldier in a CPC-led army during the war, watched the parade on site.

"I feel like as long as China stays united and sticks together, it will always be an invincible force," he said.

Wednesday's ceremony was presided over by Li Qiang, and attended by Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi -- all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- as well as Vice President Han Zheng.

International organization leaders such as UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, and former political leaders, including ex-Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, also attended.

Unstoppable rejuvenation

Wednesday's military parade was the first since Xi led China to embark on "a new journey to pursue Chinese modernization on all fronts." The country has laid out a roadmap to basically achieve modernization by 2035.

In his speech, Xi demanded that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) provide strategic support for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He urged the PLA to build itself into world-class forces and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The 70-minute military parade demonstrated the transformation of the armed forces from a "millet-and-rifle" army to a modern military. It was attended by more than 10,000 soldiers, over 100 aircraft and hundreds of ground armaments, organized under a wartime command system.

The PLA's new structure of services and arms made its collective debut, showcasing the outcomes of a sweeping military reform under Xi's leadership.

Troops from the four services of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Rocket Force, as well as the four arms of the Aerospace Force, the Cyberspace Force, the Information Support Force, and the Joint Logistics Support Force, marched past Tian'anmen Square.

The advanced armaments put on display included unmanned intelligence and counter-unmanned equipment, hypersonic missiles, directed-energy weapons, and electronic jamming systems.

The nuclear missile formation attends a military parade in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

In Wednesday's parade, China unveiled its land-, sea-, and air-based strategic forces as the nuclear triad for the first time. The armaments, hailed as China's strategic "ace" power to safeguard the country's sovereignty and national dignity, included JingLei-1 air-based long-range missile, JuLang-3 submarine-launched intercontinental missile, DongFeng-61 land-based intercontinental missile, and new type DongFeng-31 land-based intercontinental missile.

Televised and livestreamed to a national audience, the event became the top trending topic on Chinese social media as people shared photos and videos of the spectacle.

Yang Jieyu, a student at Peking University and a spectator at the event, said, "The parade showed China's growing strength and filled me with confidence in national rejuvenation."

Scholars believe the life-or-death struggle more than 80 years ago reshaped the national psyche, leaving scars and pride that are still visible today, and marked a historic turning point as the Chinese nation transitioned from decline to rejuvenation.

"The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable," Xi said in his speech.

He reiterated China's commitment to peaceful development. "Humanity is again faced with a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games," he said.

Kong Peng, a spectator from Beijing, said after watching the parade, "It's clear who's right and who's wrong, who's really standing for peace and who's trying to be a bully."

The formation of Chinese UN peacekeepers attends a military parade in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese soldiers who have participated in UN peacekeeping operations made their first appearance in a V-Day parade.

China is the largest contributor of troops among the UN Security Council permanent members, having deployed over 5,000 peacekeepers and maintaining a standing force of 8,000 personnel ready for UN missions, making it a key player in UN peacekeeping operations.

"We have the capability to defend the peace forged with the blood of our forefathers," said Shao Xiaoguang, a member of the reviewed troops who previously served on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Zhang Zijin, a 7-year-old girl who watched the parade with her parents in the square, said she dreamed of joining the armed forces when she grows up. "I believe if I keep trying, I can make it come true," she said.

"Eighty years ago, we were revived. Eighty years later, we are thriving with greater vitality," said Lyu Shouye, a spectator at the event and a graduate student studying AI.

"Now our country has reached a stage where we need to undertake greater responsibilities," he said.