Beijing held a major military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II. The event took place in Tiananmen Square in the presence of top leaders and foreign dignitaries, Xinhua reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech and reviewed the troop parade. The President of Turkmenistan and more than 20 other heads of state were on the podium next to the Chinese leader. Representatives of countries that provided assistance to China during the war, including Russia, the United States, Great Britain, France and Canada, were invited to the event.

The parade involved more than 10 thousand servicemen, over 100 aircraft and hundreds of ground vehicles. The new system of services and weapons of the People's Liberation Army of China was presented for the first time, including unmanned vehicles, hypersonic missiles and strategic weapons.

In his speech, Xi Jinping stressed the importance of the victory 80 years ago, calling it China's first complete victory in repelling an external invasion in modern history. He noted the enormous contribution of the Chinese people to safeguarding peace, which cost the country 35 million military and civilian casualties.

The Chinese leader reaffirmed the country's commitment to peaceful development and called on the international community to eliminate the root causes of wars. The parade was attended for the first time by Chinese UN peacekeepers, symbolizing China's readiness to protect peace.

The parade was the second such event since 2015 and was held within the framework of the Chinese leadership's course for comprehensive modernization of the country by 2035.