BIGGEST MILITARY SHOW IN DECADES

China is poised to stage a grand military parade in Beijing on Tuesday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of New China's founding. The event will be the country's 15th National Day parade and the largest of its kind in more than six decades.

About 15,000 officers and soldiers from the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police Force, the reserve services and the militia will participate in the parade. Fifteen units of soldiers will march down Chang'an Avenue.

A total of 580 pieces of weaponry and military hardware from 32 units will showcase the nation's prowess in land and sea combat, air and missile defense, information operations, unmanned tasks, logistics support and strategic strikes.

In addition, over 160 fighter jets, bombers, early-warning and control planes, attack helicopters and other types of military aircraft from 12 units will demonstrate the country's air power.

It will be the first National Day parade for the PLA Strategic Support Force and the PLA Joint Logistic Support Force, which were established in recent years. It will also be the first time China's peacekeeping troops take part in a parade.

The parade is intended to highlight the capabilities of Chinese armed forces in joint operations and training and integrated logistics support. Those capabilities have been enhanced through the ongoing military reforms, which were launched in late 2015 by President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Advanced weapons are set to be unveiled at the event, including the nuclear-capable DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile and ZTQ-15 lightweight battle tank.

PREVIOUS NATIONAL DAY PARADES

Oct 1, 1949: Founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China

Participants: More than 16,400 troops, the majority from the PLA Ground Force, take part in New China's first parade. Almost all the participants took part in the wars before the People's Republic of China's founding

Feature: First public appearance of the PLA's August 1 flag and its air and naval units

Commander-in-chief of the parade: Zhu De, commander-in-chief of the PLA

1950: 1st anniversary of the PRC's founding

Participants: More than 24,200 troops take part, the largest number of parade participants to date

Commander-in-chief: Zhu De

1951: 2nd anniversary

Participants: More than 13,300 troops

Feature: Debut of the Chinese militia and the PLA's parachute, air defense and multiple rocket launcher units

Commander-in-chief: Zhu De

1952: 3rd anniversary

Participants: About 11,300 troops

Feature: First public appearance of the PLA's public security unit and the guard of honor

Commander-in-chief: Zhu De

1953: 4th anniversary

Participants: More than 10,000 troops

Commander-in-chief: Zhu De

1954: 5th anniversary

Participants: More than 10,300 troops

Feature: All weapons and equipment are made by the Soviet Union

Commander-in-chief: Peng Dehuai, defense minister

1955: 6th anniversary

Participants: More than 10,300 troops

Feature: First parade after the establishment of the PLA's rank system and the first time a major general is among the marching troops. All participants wear new uniforms

Commander-in-chief: Peng Dehuai

1956: 7th anniversary

Participants: More than 11,900 troops

Feature: Only parade held in the rain

Commander-in-chief: Peng Dehuai

1957: 8th anniversary

Participants: More than 7,000 troops, the smallest group of participants in any National Day parade

Feature: First display of a Chinese-made bomber and fighter jet in the parade

Commander-in-chief: Peng Dehuai

1958: 9th anniversary

Participants: More than 7,800 troops

Feature: First participation of a women's militia unit in a parade

Commander-in-chief: Peng Dehuai

1959: 10th anniversary

Participants: More than 11,000 troops

Feature: Majority of weapons and equipment displayed are manufactured by China

Commander-in-chief: Lin Biao, defense minister

1984: 35th anniversary

Participants: More than 10,300 troops

Feature: All weapons and equipment are developed and made by China. Debut of China's ballistic missiles and the PLA Second Artillery Corps and the People's Armed Police Force. The first large-scale participation of female members of the PLA in a parade

Commander-in-chief: Deng Xiaoping, chairman of the Central Military Commission

1999: 50th anniversary

Participants: More than 11,000 troops

Feature: First parade for the PLA Ground Force, the PLA Navy's aviation force and marine corps, the People's Armed Police Force's special operation units and China's reserve services

Commander-in-chief: Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president and chairman of the Central Military Commission

2009: 60th anniversary

Participants: More than 8,000 troops

Feature: First public display of domestically developed military hardware, including China's early-warning aircraft and the country's first-generation cruise missiles

Commander-in-chief: Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president and chairman of the Central Military Commission

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Global 10/01/2019 page3)