Beijing: The Chinese military on Saturday conducted a massive dress rehearsal here with scores of missiles, battle tanks and other advanced weapons as part of the preparations to hold its biggest ever military parade on October 1 to celebrate its 70th National Day.
Last month official media reported that China will display its advanced weapons, including the latest nuclear arsenal, at its biggest military parade on October 1st to demonstrate Beijing's enhanced deterrence and growing military might to the world.
Gigantic trucks carrying long and short range missiles, a variety of armour including battle tanks rumbled the historic Chang'an avenue, meaning Eternal Peace Street on Saturday evening.
All main thoroughfares connecting the Chang'an avenue were blocked by hundreds of policemen as the parade formations slowly moved with military procession towards the Tiananmen square, where Chinese President Xi Jinping was expected to review the parade.
The two million strong Chinese military is largest in the world.
This year's parade was expected to be bigger than the one held in July, 2017 at China's largest military base in Zhurihe in Inner Mongolia.
The Chinese Army, Navy, Air Force, the Rocket Force (missile force) and the Strategic Support Force were all expected to showcase their weaponry.
China would put on a grand celebration, followed by a military parade and mass pageantry at Tiananmen Square on October 1, the National Day, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on August 29.
Some advanced weapons will make their debut in the military parade, the scale of which is scheduled to be greater than the ones commemorating the 50th and 60th founding anniversary of the PRC, as well as the V-Day military parade in 2015, the report said.
The military parade is expected to showcase China's achievements in building its national defence and armed forces in the past 70 years and reflect the outcomes of the reform of the people's armed forces, Cai Zhijun, deputy head of the office of the leading group for the military parade, told the media.
The military parade is an important part of the National Day celebration and is not aimed at any other countries or specific situations, Cai said, playing down reports that the display weapons was aimed at showcasing its military might specially to the US and the countries around.
In the parade, China plans to show its strategic nuclear missiles and advanced fighter jets, the Hong Kong-based media reported.
Military analysts said the show of nuclear strength was intended to demonstrate China's enhanced deterrence and second strike capability, especially to the United States.
The parade is to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.
So it should let the whole world see China's achievement of military modernisation under the leadership of President Xi Jinping since he came to power (in 2012), the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post Chinese had quoted military analyst earlier.
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