China displays its weaponry in a tightly controlled military parade

BEIJING (AP) — China’s missiles, fighter jets and other military hardware — some on public view for the first time — were displayed in a major parade Wednesday.

Troops marched in lockstep by President Xi Jinping, who leads the Communist Party and heads the military as the chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The event marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The audience included about two dozen foreign leaders from countries seeking to improve or maintain relations with the government in Beijing.

Many weapons making public debut

Much of the weaponry and equipment in the parade was being shown to the public for the first time, according to Chinese military officials.

They included land, sea and air-based strategic weapons, advanced precision warfare equipment and drones. Warplanes and helicopters flew in formation in the skies overhead.

Show of strength

It’s the first major military parade in China since 2019 on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China. Wednesday’s parade commemorates the end of WWII, a conflict that devastated China.

The parade aimed to instill pride in the populace and assure them that the country is strong enough to ward off any attack. But China’s growing military strength also concerns its Asian neighbors and the United States.

Russia and North Korea headline guest list

U.S. and Western European heads of state are staying away, as are the leaders of Japan, India and South Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare foreign trip to attend. He was joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the president of Iran, among others.

In all, about two dozen foreign leaders attended, including several from Southeast Asia and a few from Africa and South Asia. Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto arrived early Wednesday after being delayed by protests in his country over lawmakers’ perks.

Parade mainly for invited guests

The event is highly choreographed and tightly controlled. It’s not the kind of parade where crowds line the streets to watch.

Barriers were set up to keep the public one block away and commercial buildings along the parade route were emptied and closed until the parade ended.

For most people, the only way to watch was on television or a livestream.