The Implicit Message of China's Massive Military Parade

For 70 minutes, China will showcase its latest military equipment. All systems are active and domestically manufactured.

Source: KOMPAS

Updated:  Sep 3, 2025

On September 3, 2025, China will showcase its advanced military capabilities in a parade at Tiananmen Square, Beijing. This is not merely a display of military equipment; it encompasses a narrative of history, trauma, and victory.

The military parade is essentially held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II following Japan's surrender. However, this parade will serve as a projection of China's growing military strength. The Reuters news agency reported on Friday (22/8/2025) that this is significant considering China is facing various situations such as deep-seated distrust towards the West, geopolitical uncertainty with the United States, and territorial disputes with neighboring countries.

"The 70-minute military parade will showcase advanced military equipment from China, reflecting the modernization efforts of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)," said Major General Wu Zeke, an official from the Chinese Military Commission, at a press conference on Wednesday.

All weapons and military equipment to be showcased have been selected from domestically produced main combat systems that are currently active. Wu explained that the exhibition includes strategic heavy weapons, hypersonic precision systems, as well as unmanned and anti-unmanned equipment.

Most of the weaponry consists of newly launched Chinese military weapons and equipment. The military parade serves as the debut showcase for this new armament.

"This parade involves more than 10,000 personnel, over 100 aircraft, and several hundred ground vehicles," said Major General Xu Guizhong, Deputy Executive Director of the Parade Command Office of the PLA Central Theater Command in Beijing, as quoted by CNN.

More than 100 types of equipment were on display. "All of them are combat-ready and domestically produced," Xu said.

The parade is scheduled to showcase Chinese troops marching in formation, armored vehicles, and other high-tech combat equipment.

AP Photo/Ng Han GuanFemale members of the Chinese Militia march during a rehearsal ahead of the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, Wednesday (20/8/2025).

Chinese President Xi Jinping will review the troops participating in the parade alongside honored guests. Among those expected to attend is Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has confirmed Putin's attendance, who also participated in a similar parade in 2015. Most Western leaders are expected not to attend.

"Putin and Xi take the warning of war very seriously because it indicates that Russia and China can take pride in their history and that Western efforts to tarnish their past will fail," said Joseph Torigian, a professor at American University and an expert in China-Soviet history.

Important role

In addition to preparations for the parade, Beijing is launching a campaign to emphasize the correct perspective on the history of World War II. Beijing wants to highlight that China and the Soviet Union played a crucial role in combating fascist forces in both Asia and Europe.

A commentary in the Chinese media outlet, People's Daily, this week claimed that China's contribution to the war against Japan was being overlooked and downplayed by some. The commentary also suggested that the Communist Party's wartime efforts were being deliberately downplayed and slandered.

"Ignoring the very strong historical facts, disregarding the tens of millions of innocent lives lost in war, and repeatedly denying or even glorifying the history of aggression is a shameless betrayal," the comment stated.

Chinese scholars are attempting to rewrite the narrative they believe to be the mainstream, centered on the West, regarding World War II. They assert that the war actually began in 1931 with Japan's invasion of China.

"China and Russia are the biggest winners and have suffered the greatest losses during the war," said Wang Wen, Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.

"China's resistance played an indispensable role in depleting Japan's military resources, which underpinned its efforts to defeat the Axis powers," Wang continued.

Historians generally agree that the government of the Republic of China was involved in most direct battles with Japan, while Communist guerrilla forces launched attacks on Japanese supply lines.

In a museum on the outskirts of Beijing dedicated to the war, the displayed collection shows Communist forces "substantially annihilating Japanese troops."

AP Photo/Andy Wong/PoolIn a photo archive dated September 3, 2015, a Chinese military vehicle carrying the anti-ship ballistic missile DF-21D passes through Tiananmen Gate during a military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing.

In anticipation of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Chinese troops practiced maneuvers in formation at a military camp on the northwestern outskirts of Beijing. During a visit by Reuters to the military camp on Wednesday, a group of honor troops, both male and female, was lined up in rows of 15 or 20 individuals. They spread out along a path resembling a runway while officers shouted commands.

The authorities have also increased security in Beijing since the first exercise this month. Security personnel have set up checkpoints, redirected traffic, and closed shopping centers and office buildings.

So far, Beijing has conducted two large-scale exercises on August 9-10 and August 16-17. The exercises were attended by 22,000 and 40,000 participants, respectively, consisting of troops, police, and spectators.

The state reception and cultural performances are scheduled to take place on the same evening. Many residents of Beijing, who have experienced disruptions to their daily lives due to parade rehearsals for weeks, hope to take a moment to rest.

The last time the parade was held, in 2015, China implemented a three-day national holiday and schools in Beijing postponed the start of the semester. For the 2025 military parade, Chinese citizens on the Chinese social media platform, Weibo, expressed their eagerness to watch the military parade.