PLA showcases military formations

China held a grand military parade at Zhurihe training base in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in celebration of the 90th birthday of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

National flag raising ceremony held at Zhurihe Training Base in north China. /CGTN Photo

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspected the troops and delivered a speech.

CGTN Photo

Clad in a camouflage military suit, Xi stood in an open-roof jeep that drove slowly past formations of troops as military music was played through loudspeakers.

CGTN Photo

It is the first time that Xi has observed such a massive parade staged in the field.

12,000 service personnel, more than 129 aircraft and 571 pieces of ground equipment appeared in 36 formations.

CGTN Photo

Formation of airborne early warning and control (AEWC) aircraft was also witnessed.

CGTN Photo

Nuclear missile formation include two types of solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles was showcased.