China will stage a massive China military parade in Beijing on Wednesday to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, in what analysts describe as a major display of strength and global ambition.
The parade, held in Tiananmen Square, comes shortly after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin and is widely seen as a statement of Beijing’s military and diplomatic clout.
President Xi Jinping will host leaders who have faced international sanctions, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. Almost no Western leaders will attend, apart from Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić.
Tens of thousands of troops will march through the square, accompanied by next-generation equipment ranging from fighter jets and air defence systems to hypersonic weapons and the DF-26 ballistic missile, dubbed the “Guam killer.”
Analysts note that the China military parade is designed not only to commemorate the anniversary, but also to reinforce Xi’s authority at home during a period of economic slowdown and to signal solidarity with Russia and other “Global South” countries challenging Western dominance.
The Guardian reported that the event serves as a message of unity among nations seeking to reshape the world order. While China’s operational military capacity remains largely untested, the spectacle is intended to demonstrate readiness and ambition.
For Beijing, the day is also an opportunity to highlight its role in the Second World War and underline its stake in shaping the emerging global system.
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