China unveils plans to mark 80th anniversary of victory over Japanese aggression and fascism

China's State Council Information Office on Tuesday held a press conference on the general arrangements for commemorative activities marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

China will hold a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 3. Chinese President Xi Jinping will review the troops during the parade, which will be held as part of a grand gathering to commemorate the anniversary.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver a speech at the gathering.

The military parade will feature marching formations, armored columns, aerial echelons and new types of combat forces, including unmanned and intelligent equipment.

China is set to release a new list of national-level anti-Japanese war memorial facilities and sites, as well as a new list of renowned heroes, martyrs and heroic groups from the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The country will invite foreign leaders, former political dignitaries, high-level officials and heads of international organizations to events marking the occasion. Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party veterans who fought in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression will also be invited to observe the parade.

Foreign envoys, military attaches and representatives of international organizations in China, as well as foreign friends who contributed to China's victory in the war or representatives of their family members, will also be invited, according to the press briefing.

All the equipment and weapons to be displayed during the parade will be active-duty main battle equipment. They embody China's independent innovation capacity in weapons and equipment development, said Wu Zeke, a senior officer of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.

These weapons and equipment are all domestically produced and offer higher strike precision, improved battlefield adaptability and greater combat effectiveness, according to Wu.

Wu added that all weapons and equipment in the parade will be selected from combat units of various services and arms – including elements of strategic strike forces, advanced operational and tactical equipment, as well as new types of forces suited to future warfare.

The equipment on display will also cover a full spectrum of capabilities, such as command and control, reconnaissance and early warning, air and missile defense, fire strike and integrated support.

In addition, the parade is organized according to combat groups, embodying the core principles of information dominance, system-of-systems support, elite force operations and joint-force victory, said Wu.

Wu added that in recent years, China has overcome numerous cutting-edge technological challenges and developed a large array of advanced weapons and equipment, ushering in a new era in its armaments development.

New-generation aircraft carriers, destroyers, stealth fighters, drones and strategic missiles have been rapidly commissioned, marking a great leap forward in the Chinese military's armaments development – and providing strong support for a substantial boost in combat capabilities, said Wu.

"This has given our military greater confidence in its ability to fight and win," added Wu.

(With input from Xinhua)