A formation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Army takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
China will hold a military parade on September 3, where the country will display new combat forces including unmanned, intelligent, underwater, cyber, electronic, and hypersonic equipment in addition to traditional weapons and equipment.
An expert told the Global Times on Tuesday that the event is expected to demonstrate the Chinese military and defense sector’s capabilities in defending the country and safeguarding peace in the region and the world, particularly amid the deteriorating international security landscape.
The military parade to mark 80th anniversary of victory against Japanese aggression, fascism will be held at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the morning of September 3, it was announced at a press conference by China’s State Council Information Office on Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The military parade will feature marching formations, armored columns, and aerial echelons.
The marching formations will focus on displaying the new military structure layout after the reform and reshaping of the Chinese military.
The armored columns will focus on displaying the latest achievements in the construction of the military’s equipment system. Through the combination of groups and teams and the synthesis of formations, it embodies the Chinese military’s new mode of force utilization in joint command, joint action, and joint support, and reflects China’s independent innovation capabilities in weapons and equipment.
The aerial echelons will focus on displaying the systematization level of the Chinese air combat forces and their rapidly developing advanced combat capability.
This military parade will not only showcase traditional main battle forces, but also feature new-domain forces with new combat capabilities.
All equipment on display this time will be domestically produced battle equipment already in service. In addition to displaying the new generation of traditional weapons and equipment, some new combat forces such as unmanned intelligence, underwater warfare, network and electronic attack and defense, and hypersonic warfare equipment will also be featured in the parade, reflecting the Chinese military’s strong ability to evolve according to science and technology advancements and to win future wars, Xinhua reported.
The military parade will also arrange for troops that have participated in peacekeeping missions to participate, which will not only highlight the solemn commemoration of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, but also demonstrate China’s responsibility as a major country in fulfilling its international obligations and maintaining world peace, that the Chinese military has always been a firm force in maintaining world peace, according to the Xinhua report.
Wu Zeke, deputy director of the military parade’s leading group office, said at the press conference on Tuesday that the weapons and equipment to be displayed at the parade will form a comprehensive system. All of them are selected and integrated from the operational units of various military services and branches. They encompass not only strategic strike forces but also advanced operational and tactical equipment, as well as new-quality forces designed for future warfare paradigms.
Another characteristic is that these weapons and equipment essentially cover all types of capabilities, including command and control, reconnaissance and early warning, air defense and missile interception, firepower strike, and integrated support, Wu said, noting that they are also combat-oriented, and will parade in combat group formations, demonstrating the principles of information dominance, system-supported operations, elite force deployment, and joint operations supremacy.
These weapon and equipment feature higher strike precision, greater battlefield adaptability, and superior combat effectiveness, Wu said.
Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that China’s latest weapons and equipment are expected to be a major point of focus of the event, particularly the new types of combat forces.
Highlighting that all participating weapons and equipment are domestically developed, Song said that the event will show China’s complete defense industry can fully support the Chinese military in defending the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The military parade will show China’s commitment to upholding the postwar international order and its resolute opposition to any resurgence of fascism on the global stage, Song said. He also noted that the event, to be held amid the deteriorating global security situation, will show China’s role as crucial, powerful stabilizing force for regional and world peace.
