China will stage one of the largest military parades in its history on 3 September to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War. The event will take place on Tiananmen Square in Beijing and is expected to bring together more than 10,000 troops, over 100 aircraft and several hundred tanks, drones and armoured vehicles in a tightly choreographed display lasting about 70 minutes. President Xi Jinping has invited leaders from 26 nations, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, giving the commemoration a highly symbolic geopolitical dimension, reports The WP Times, citing Reuters.
The parade will feature 45 formations and present weapons never shown to the public before, among them hypersonic missiles of the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20 series, autonomous battle tanks, drone swarms, unmanned sea platforms and sophisticated electronic warfare systems. Military analysts say Beijing’s choice to unveil these technologies underlines its ambition to be perceived on equal terms with the United States in deterrence and technological innovation. Alongside Putin and Kim, leaders from Vietnam, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe and Cuba will be present, while Western heads of government remain absent. Notably, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, often seen as Beijing’s closest ally within the EU, has declined to attend.
China has officially commemorated 3 September as “Victory Day” since 2015, marking the signing of Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri in 1945. While Japan traditionally observes the end of the war on 15 August, Beijing highlights the formal signing ceremony, framing it as a pivotal moment in which China’s sacrifices and the Communist Party’s leadership were decisive. Historians note that other actors, including the Nationalist government, played a central role, yet the official narrative continues to emphasise the Party’s contribution.
For Xi Jinping, the 2025 commemoration serves three clear objectives: honouring the country’s wartime history, consolidating domestic legitimacy and projecting China’s influence on the global stage. By combining historical remembrance with the unveiling of advanced weapons and the participation of controversial leaders such as Putin and Kim, Beijing seeks to demonstrate both strength and diplomatic reach. The parade is intended as a message to the world that China aspires to shape the emerging international order of the twenty-first century.
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