On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, China held a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. This ceremony was both a solemn commemoration and an opportunity to highlight China’s military modernization and a call for world cooperation.
The ceremony included an 80 gun salute for those who died in the war. After the presentation of the host and keynote address, Xi was the last speaker. Xi stated humans need to recognize and learn from history as we go forward – there is no way forward other than peace and dialogue, cooperation and consultation and not confrontation and conflict.
The parade was an extraordinary exhibition of China’s military power in front of over 12,000 troops with a comprehensive array of advanced weapons including new hypersonic missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), stealth aircraft, unmanned underwater drones, etc. The recent show of the China’s nuclear triad and improvements to their defence posture highlighted a demonstrated change but also emphasized the role as a stabilizer of global affairs.
Representatives from many of China’s key allies attended the event including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, who brought with him his daughter Kim Ju Ae in her first debut public appearance since coming on to the global stage to be seen with her father. The leaders of Iran, Belarus, Myanmar, and other Global South countries were in attendance, demonstrating an increase in Beijing’s relationships with non-Western countries as a higher positive of the spirit of the observation honor.
Chinese officials discussed how the observation was not just a showing off their defence assets but sending messages of peace, solidarity and shared development. The anniversary was an important moment for China to reaffirm a strong commitment to cooperation with partners around the world, including Nigeria.