Parading for peace in celebration and commemoration of China's V-Day

BEIJING, Sept. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Beijing Review: A grand Victory Day military parade was held in Beijing on September 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

At the cost of over 35 million lives, the nation won the final victory. "The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War. With huge national sacrifice, the Chinese people made major contributions to saving human civilization and safeguarding world peace," President Xi Jinping said in his V-Day speech.

The V-Day parade's core message was a promise to both the people of China and the world at large: China has never forgotten the lessons of history, and it treasures the peace so dearly won and stands ready to work with all peace-loving nations to safeguard justice and stability.

The parade, attended by more than 10,000 soldiers, over 100 aircraft and hundreds of ground armaments, demonstrated the transformation of China's armed forces from a backward army into a modern military.  

Advanced armaments were put on display, including unmanned intelligence and counter-unmanned equipment, hypersonic missiles, directed-energy weapons and electronic jamming systems. All the weapons and equipment on display were drawn from domestically produced, active-service main battle systems, with many making their first public appearance.

Despite showcasing its advanced weaponry, China maintains that military power is built to deter conflict, not to wage it. Many came to see that the surest way to preserve peace is for a peace-loving nation to maintain armed strength sufficient to deter any would-be aggressor.

Lasting peace is not secured through goodwill grounded in endless concessions, but through the strength that makes would-be aggressors think twice. A peace-loving nation draws its greatest power not from its teeth or attack, but from the defense and deterrence that compel any provocateur to reckon with the consequences.

China values military strength but does not idolize force; it strives for national and military strength, yet rejects the logic that power inevitably leads to hegemony; it stands against unjust wars, yet does not fear wars imposed upon it. The Chinese people hold fast to the profound truth that justice will prevail, and to the historical law that a just cause commands broad support, while injustice can never triumph.

From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to the contemporary vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, China has, in the 76 years since the founding of the People's Republic, never initiated a war or conflict, nor seized an inch of foreign land. It remains the only major power to have written peaceful development into both its Constitution and the Constitution of its ruling party, elevating it to the status of national will—and the only nuclear power to commit to a no-first-use policy for nuclear weapons.

China is the largest contributor of troops and a key player in UN peacekeeping operations among the UN Security Council permanent members. It is also the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget. These actions speak to China's pledge to the world: China's development is not a threat, but a growing source of peace; its growing strength will bring greater positive energy to the global cause of peace and development.

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SOURCE Beijing Review