Xi Jinping Reviews Grand Military Parade Marking 80th Anniversary of WWII Victory

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday presided over a massive military parade in central Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, showcasing the country’s growing military might and reaffirming its strategic ambitions on the global stage.

Xi was flanked by several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Other dignitaries in attendance included:

• Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
  
  
• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
  
  
• Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
  
  
• Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni
  
  
• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel
  
  
• Vietnamese President Luong Cuong
  
  
• Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto
  
  
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
  
  
• Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
  
  
• Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov
  
  
• Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith
  
  
• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
  
  
• Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu
  
  
• Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh
  
  
• Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing
  
  
• Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli
  
  
• Republic of the Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso
  
  
• Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić
  
  
• Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico
  
  
• Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon
  
  
• Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov
  
  
• Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
  
  
• Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Key Military Displays

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unveiled an array of advanced weaponry in a rare public display, highlighting China’s rapidly modernizing defence capabilities:

Missile Arsenal

• Nuclear Triad: For the first time, China showcased its nuclear “triad” – weapons deliverable by land, sea, and air.

• Air-based: Jinglei-1 long-range missile.
  
  
• Sea-based: Julang-3 submarine-launched intercontinental missile.
  
  
• Land-based: Dongfeng-61 (DF-61) and Dongfeng-31 intercontinental missiles.
  
  
• DF-5C Missile: The latest version of China’s liquid-fuelled intercontinental missile programme, capable of carrying multiple independently targeted warheads, with strike capability across the globe.
  
  
• Hypersonic Missiles: Anti-ship missiles such as Yingji-19, Yingji-17, and Yingji-20, tested against mock U.S. carrier models. Additional systems included Yingji-21, Dongfeng-17, and Dongfeng-26D, touted as “all-weather combat capable.”
  
  
• Cruise Missiles: Changjian-20A, Yingji-18C, and Changjian-1000.

Fighter Aircraft

• Stealth and combat jets: J-16D, J-20, J-35A, J-20S, and J-20A.
  
  
• Carrier-based aircraft: KJ-600 and J-15T, with the KJ-600 making its long-anticipated debut. Experts described its induction as the “final piece of the puzzle” for carrier strike group operations, significantly boosting China’s power projection at sea.

Directed-Energy Weapons

• Anti-drone technologies, including high-energy lasers, microwave weapons, and a missile gun system, underscored China’s investment in futuristic warfare capabilities.

Unmanned Systems

• Drones capable of operating underwater, in the air, and from naval platforms.
  
  
• Reconnaissance and strike drones, unmanned helicopters for ship-based launches, and sea-based mine-laying systems further reflected the PLA’s growing focus on unmanned warfare.