BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping said humanity must choose between peace and war and dialogue and confrontation in a speech Wednesday before a major military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Xi started a brief address by remembering the Chinese veterans of the war and called for the eradication of the roots of war to prevent history from repeating itself. But his main message was forward looking: Today, China is strong, fears no one and is ready to take a leading role in the world.
“The Chinese people are a people that are not afraid of violence and are self-reliant and strong,” he said. “We will adhere to the path of peaceful development and work hand in hand with people of all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.”
A limousine ride and modern military hardware
The parade, which lasted about 90 minutes, showcased missiles, fighter jets and other military hardware, some of it displayed publicly for the first time.
The event began with troops marching in rhythmic lockstep, their boots echoing off the pavement, to be reviewed by Xi, who heads China’s military as chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Xi rode by the entire length of their formations along Beijing’s central Chang’an Avenue in a classic black limousine. He stood up through the vehicle's sunroof with four microphones lined in front of him and greeted flanks of personnel as he passed them and rows of armaments and military vehicles.
They shouted back mottos in unison such as “We serve the people.”
Drone submarines and hypersonic missiles
Highlights of the weaponry in the parade included:
Hypersonic missiles designed to take out ships at sea. They are of particular concern to the U.S. Navy, which patrols the western Pacific from its 7th Fleet headquarters in Japan.
Underwater drones including the AJX002, a long, black, tube-shaped craft that looks like a narrow submarine with a rear propeller.
A new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61, which could carry nuclear warheads to distant targets.
Fighter jets and bombers flew across the sky, some painting rows of different-colored exhaust in unison. Helicopters flew in formation, one group of 26 spelling out the number “80” for the war's anniversary year.
Before Xi spoke, the ceremony began with an 80-gun artillery salute, followed by the national anthem, the “March of the Volunteers,” a song composed in 1935 during the early years of resistance against invading Japanese forces.
Putin and Kim were among Xi's prominent guests
About two dozen foreign leaders watched the parade from an elevated point on the historic Tiananmen Gate, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Putin and Kim flanked Xi as they made their way to the platform overlooking Tiananmen Square. They paused to shake hands with five WWII veterans, some older than 100.
As the parade got underway, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that the big question is whether Xi will recognize the contributions of Americans who fought in the war.
“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," he added.
The U.S. eyed the gathering of the three leaders warily, as well as a 10-nation summit meeting in China on Monday that brought together Xi, Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Xi's remarks did not mention the U.S. by name but expressed his gratitude to foreign countries that helped China resist the Japanese invasion.
A display of military strength for its own people
Domestically, the commemoration of the anniversary is a way to show the progress made by China, which was a major front in the war where millions died as a result of Japan's invasion.
The military parade was also a show of strength to boost support for the Communist Party and its leader, Xi, domestically and a way to portray itself as a global alternative to the American-dominated postwar era.
“The Chinese people’s rejuvenation cannot be blocked, and the noble goal of the peaceful development of human civilization must triumph,” Xi said at the end of his speech.
The marching formations from the People’s Liberation Army ranged from traditional army and navy units to new ones such as a cyberspace unit that oversees information security.
The PLA was a heroic military “the people and the Party can trust and rely on completely," Xi said, adding that the army's task was to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and unification, a reference to China’s claim over the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.
