Grand Military Parade of China on the Anniversary of the End of World War II

The Chinese army held a very large and unprecedented parade on the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II, attended by senior officials of the country, thousands of military personnel, and various weapons. China has held parades on its national day multiple times, but this is the first time it has held an event of this magnitude on the anniversary of the end of World War II. The military parade took place on Thursday, September 12, at a time when China's relations with some of its neighbors in East Asia, especially Japan, have recently become tense. These tensions mainly relate to claims of ownership over small islands in the South China Sea and surrounding areas, but they have roots in older disputes in the region. Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the beginning of his speech during the parade, stated that the 'complete victory' in World War II over Japan made China a 'great country.' He spoke in Tiananmen Square, where Mao Zedong announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported that the scale of this year's ceremony is incomparable to any similar events in the past seventy years. According to Xinhua, 12,000 soldiers, 500 tanks and various vehicles, and 200 aircraft participated in the parade. Television images from the parade, which began after the President's speech, showcased some new equipment, including missiles that Chinese state television referred to as 'anti-aircraft carrier missiles.' In his speech, the Chinese President announced a reduction of 300,000 military personnel. Mr. Xi also stated that Beijing would not seek to create 'hegemony in the world.' The United States and a group of its main allies in East Asia, such as Japan and the Philippines, have repeatedly accused China of expansionism in the region. Japan has implemented new policies in recent months to strengthen its military structure. While in the West, the end of World War II mainly relates to the surrender of the Nazi German government and army, in Asia, the war effectively ended when the Japanese army surrendered to Allied forces in mid-August, four months after Germany. Japan officially surrendered on September 2, and China celebrates September 3 (September 12) as 'Victory Day.' More than 80 million people were killed during World War II and related events and crimes, among which up to 20 million were Chinese citizens. In China itself, this number is reported to be as high as 35 million.