2025 China Victory Day Parade — Beijing’s Show of Force, A New Global Signal

A Grand Parade, A Directed Message

BEIJING — On September 3, the world’s gaze shifted to Tiananmen Square, where China held its largest-ever military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War. More than 12,000 troops from the People’s Liberation Army took part, along with advanced weapons and military technology, under the watch of Xi Jinping, who used the event as both commemoration and geopolitical signal.

Leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un were among the foreign dignitaries, underscoring China’s effort to position itself at the centre of a reshaping global order.

The Layers of Meaning

China framed the spectacle not just as a historic remembrance but as a declaration of its role in a new world configuration. The parade displayed hypersonic missiles, next-generation drones and missile carriers — more than mere pageantry, the display was meant as a demonstration of capability and intent.

At the same time, analysts noted the “memory-war” dimension: by placing itself as the inheritor of anti-fascist victory, China sought to challenge Western narratives about the 20th-century order and stake claim in the 21st-century one.

Why It Matters for You

The intersection of military capability and diplomatic symbolism here is vital for a journalism beat covering AI/tech and geopolitics: advanced weapons systems, drone swarms, hypersonics — these are tech stories as much as defence stories.

The event signals the intensification of an alternate model of global alignment — one less anchored in the U.S./Western system and more in Eurasian, Pacific-Asian networks.

For your readership, the story isn’t just about tanks on Tiananmen — it’s about how tech, power and narrative coalesce. How will global supply-chains, regional alliances, AI governance and defence posture shift in response?

What to Watch Next

• Will China convert the parade’s symbolism into concrete alliances, military-tech exports or co-development agreements?
• How will U.S., NATO and regional actors (Japan, Australia, India) respond — in diplomacy, positioning, procurement?
• Will this become a template for future parades or signals from other rising powers?
• Monitor open-source visuals: drone deployments, new hardware, troop movements — these often foreshadow real strategic shifts.

Related Articles

• Xi to flaunt China’s vision of new global order at military parade — Reuters
• China Victory Day Parade: 12,000 troops, hypersonics in Tiananmen Square showcase — Wikipedia summary
• Memory wars: How Beijing reframes WWII victory to underpin 21st-century ambitions — global commentary