China's Sept 3 parade to highlight domestically produced equipment

All weapons and equipment to be reviewed in China's grand military parade on Sept 3 will be "domestically produced, active-duty main battle gear", highlighting the latest achievements in the Chinese military's equipment system development, a senior military organizer said on Tuesday.

These weapons and equipment will be a "concentrated display of the Chinese military's system-based combat capabilities, new-domain and new-quality combat power, and strategic deterrent strength", said Wu Zeke, deputy director general of the operation bureau of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department, at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

The military parade will be an important part of the commemorative event on Sept 3 at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, said Wu, who is also deputy director of the leading group office of the parade.

The forces participating in the parade include the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, consisting of foot formations, equipment formations, and air echelons, according to Wu.

"The foot formations will prominently showcase the new organizational structure and deployment of services and arms after our military's reform and reorganization," he said.

The equipment formations will highlight the latest achievements in equipment system development, reflecting China's independent innovation capabilities in weaponry, Wu said.

"The air echelons will primarily demonstrate the systematized level of our air combat forces and their rapidly improving advanced combat capabilities," said Wu.

Additionally, this parade will feature both traditional main combat forces and new-domain and new-quality forces, the military official said.

"On the basis of displaying a new generation of traditional weaponry, we have also arranged some new types of combat forces to participate, such as unmanned intelligence, underwater combat, cyberspace offense and defense, and hypersonic forces," Wu said.

The arrangements will reflect the Chinese military's "strong capabilities to adapt to technological development and the evolution of war patterns, and to win future wars", he noted.

Wu also pointed out that all weapons and equipment to be displayed include a portion of strategic strike forces, some advanced tactical equipment and some new-quality forces that are compatible with future warfare forms.

"These weapons and equipment basically cover all types of forces, including command and control, reconnaissance and early warning, air defense and anti-missile, firepower strike, and integrated support," he said.

He indicated that these pieces of equipment are more geared towards real combat, stressing that: "They have higher strike precision, stronger battlefield adaptability and greater combat effectiveness".

Wu also underscored the purpose of holding the parade, which is to highlight the historical status of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression as the main Eastern theater of the World Anti-Fascist War and its significant contributions to the victory of the latter.

The parade also aims to "demonstrate China's firm resolve to safeguard the achievements of World War II victory and international fairness and justice, and its responsibility in actively promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," Wu said.

He added that it also aims to display the PLA's firm determination and formidable strength in resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and unswervingly upholding world peace.