In all the overpasses of the first two rings surrounding the center of Beijing, there are at least two soldiers on guard 24 hours a day. At the airport and train stations, scanner controls have multiplied. In hotels, employees have orders to check the luggage of arriving guests. Flying drones is prohibited throughout the city. At midnight, some roads are closed to allow advanced tanks and trucks carrying missile systems and hypersonic weapons to pass. Additionally, in the early hours, it is common to see the most advanced combat aircraft of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flying over Tiananmen Square.
Beijing has spent the entire month of August preparing for a grand military parade that will take place on September 3 for Victory Day, marking the end of World War II after Japan's formal surrender. Chinese officials have stated that the event will be one of the largest of its kind ever held in the country. The parade will last 70 minutes and will showcase the growing military power of the Asian superpower.
After years of a major modernization campaign, the PLA will display its state-of-the-art equipment to the world. Western powers and Asian neighbors will closely watch the weapons China showcases.
On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping will review tens of thousands of troops in Tiananmen Square in the presence of several foreign leaders. The most prominent guest is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is returning Xi's visit to Moscow in May for the military parade on Red Square commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
Leaders from countries friendly to the Global South will also be in Beijing, but prominent Western leaders are not expected to attend. From Europe, only Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have confirmed their attendance.
Several media outlets reported that European diplomats stationed in the Chinese capital have been discussing for weeks whether to attend the event due to Putin's presence and the possible participation of Russian troops. In the parade for the previous round anniversary in 2015, 76 elite Russian honor guard soldiers participated. Chinese troops also took part in Moscow's parade this year.
"For the first time, new Chinese weaponry will be showcased to the outside world, including combat aircraft and bombers, as well as ground forces. All combat equipment displayed will be domestically produced," Chinese state media reported.
During rehearsals in recent weeks, trailers transporting huge autonomous submarines, fleets of drones, and even a gigantic laser weapon have been seen around heavily guarded Tiananmen Square. Also present is the DF-31, China's first solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead 67 times more powerful than theatomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Among the weapons seen in rehearsals are new YJ series anti-ship missiles and a highly advanced stealth attack unmanned aerial vehicle, the FH-97. Along the highways surrounding the capital, new airborne infantry fighting vehicles have been spotted in recent days, along with mobile mortars and light tanks.
"All the weaponry showcased in the parade is domestically produced and in service, reflecting the PLA's ability to adapt to technological developments and win future wars," a Chinese military spokesperson stated a few days ago. "Joint combat formations composed of ground combat groups, maritime combat, air defense and missile defense, as well as information warfare, unmanned combat, rear support, and strategic strike groups will be displayed."
In addition to flexing military muscle, Beijing aims to use this anniversary to rewrite a "correct view" of World War II history, highlighting China's often overlooked role in resisting Japanese imperial troops.
"China's contribution to the fight against Japan was selectively ignored, underestimated, and vilified by some Western powers," states an editorial in the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is estimated that Chinese casualties during the Japanese invasion, which began in 1931, range from 20 to 35 million, including the 300,000 who died during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, one of the bloodiest chapters of the conflict.