On September 3, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will travel to China to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of liberation from Japanese occupation and the end of the Second World War. The event will bring together numerous world leaders, according to Xinhua news agency.
Alongside Uzbekistan’s president, the celebrations will host the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Presidents of Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan are also expected to take part. For the first time since 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit China. In total 21 presidents have received invitations.
The parade is set to be the most extensive since the pandemic. Rehearsal footage suggests that for the first time guests will be shown China’s most advanced military technology, including hypersonic missiles, directed-energy and electronic warfare systems, as well as airborne and underwater drones.
Among the highlights will be the latest fourth-generation ZTZ-201 tanks and support vehicles for the Dongfeng-31 strategic missile complex. In all, some 10,000 troops, more than 100 aircraft and several hundred pieces of equipment will take part in the display.
The commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War will follow immediately after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, scheduled to be held in Beijing from August 31 to September 1.
