Peacekeepers among 13 formations inspected in V-Day parade

Chinese peacekeepers were among the 13 foot formations inspected during a parade in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing on Wednesday.

More than 10,000 military personnel, along with over 100 aircraft and hundreds of ground armaments, were arranged into formations according to a wartime command system. The Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) new system of services and arms was put on display for the first time.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, oversaw the parade and reviewed the troops.

This was the second time since 2015 that China has held a military parade to commemorate the hard-won victory against Japanese invasion.

Data from China's Ministry of National Defense show that the country has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to over 20 countries and regions, undertaking 26 UN peacekeeping missions during the past 35 years. A total of 17 Chinese service members have made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of world peace.

China's Xinhua News Agency reported in March that more than 1,800 Chinese military personnel remain deployed to carry out operations across seven UN peacekeeping mission areas and at UN Headquarters. 

Currently, China is the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and provides more peacekeepers than any of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council.

(Cover: The formation of Chinese UN peacekeepers at China's V-Day military parade in Beijing, capital of China, September 3, 2025. /Xinhua)