With precise marching and a parade of innovative weaponry, China celebrated 80 years since Japan's surrender in World War II with a huge display of military might in Beijing on Wednesday.
Dressed in a gray Mao suit and standing through the sunroof of an official limousine, President Xi Jinping marked the commencement of the parade in Tiananmen Square, which drew crowds of decorated veterans and politicians from around the world.
Decorated veterans and other retired Chinese military officials gathered on the sidelines of the famous square as new military hardware was seen for the first time.
Missile boosters, rockets, lasers and drones of many different shapes and sizes were prominently displayed on the backs of flatbed military trucks, slowly passing an audience of thousands.
The parade held in the capital's Tiananmen Square marks the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II.
Notably, the event brought together Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who joined Xi in a defiant show of solidarity against the West.
