Kazakh Leader Takes Part in Beijing WWII Victory Celebrations

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has attended a large-scale military parade on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square as an honorary guest, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II.

The parade, described as the largest in the history of the People’s Republic of China, will take place on September 3, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Wu Zeke, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for the Military Parade and senior officer of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, said that the event will showcase the new structure of China’s armed forces. For the first time, it will feature land-, sea-, and air-based strategic weapons, including hypersonic and precision strike systems, as well as unmanned and counter-unmanned aerial vehicles.

The 70-minute parade will bring together 45 marching units. In addition to the Ground Troops, Navy, Air Force, and Missile Force, four new branches of the armed forces will also be presented: the Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force, and the Joint Logistics Support Force.

President Tokayev’s visit to China also included his participation in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus summit in Tianjin. He arrived in Beijing on September 1 as part of his official trip.