Announcing military assets that will be on display during the parade, Qu Rui, deputy director of the Office of the Parade Leading Team of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, told reporters that the September 3 event will “represent the new development, new achievements and new images of the building of the Chinese armed forces”.
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Li Guangbin, deputy commander of the armament phalanxes and deputy head of the political department of the 38th corps, said various technology and techniques, including China-made Beidou positioning system, were used in the deploy of the armament vehicles.
Active Chinese military units that originated from forces that fought the Japanese during World War II will march in next month’s military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the conflict.
Qu said that some of these participating troops have already arrived in China and have accepted training for the said parade. China’s last such military parade was in 2009 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.
The parade will include some 40 types of hardware numbering 500 pieces in total and 12,000 troops, he said, while nearly 200 aircraft will also be on show.
“Training time for the parade is pressing and the task is challenging”, Yu said, adding that military parade flights must be “very strict with time and space” as well as dealing with unpredictable factors such as weather.
“Their participation is a clear indication of the attitude of commemorating the joint victory of the anti-fascist war and is a symbol … of enduring world peace”, he said.
A few leaders have confirmed their attendance, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who staged a similar military parade in May boycotted by many Western leaders. It is not yet known whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be present, nor whether he has received an official invitation.
Zhang said he still remembered the warm handshakes and hugs with his foreign counterparts, and is thrilled to know that some of them will show up in China’s parade slated for September 3.
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Popular tourist areas such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City will be closed to allow preparations for the parade. With United States dollars 145 billion annual budget, the second highest, it has developed a range of missiles, aircraft and commissioned its aircraft carrier in recent years as China pursued more aggressive strategy with regard to its disputes with neighbours, mainly maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and with Japan.
