The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground force formation will demonstrate its solidarity, confidence, and imposing presence at the upcoming V-Day military parade.
Scheduled for Sept 3 in Tian'anmen Square of downtown Beijing, the military parade will mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The ground force was the first armed force established and led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). The PLA was founded with the ground force, built upon the ground force, and has its roots in the ground force.
In the formation, all soldiers were selected from honored units that made tremendous contributions during the War of Resistance.
"Among the marching formations, the ground force is the one most closely tied to the War of Resistance. Through these activities, the soldiers can unite in purpose and strength, forging the entire formation into one piece of steel and march with powerful and resounding steps across Tian’anmen Square to receive the review of President Xi and the people," said He Yongxue, leader of the PLA ground force formation.
Ma Rui serves as the flag bearer of the formation in this military parade. Having previously marched three times as an alignment soldier, he now carries greater responsibility than ever.
"I feel more confident and collected. Such feeling doesn't only come from our neat formation and imposing manner, which is a small part of the reason, but also, in a bigger picture, due to the development of our military in the past decade, which I've witnessed and experienced," Ma said.
As the first formation in this parade, they aim to showcase their heritage as successors of honored units.
"If war happens, are we able to win? I think this is a question that every soldier needs to think about. Although there isn't too much of a connection between going through a military parade and fighting a war, I believe they share the same essence, which is a battle against human physical limits and willpower," said Ma.
"Many years ago, what out forefathers went through was ten thousand times tougher than what we experienced. However, they showed optimism and resilience: even after facing failures and defeats, they still managed to get back on feet and charge forward again and again," said Wu Meikang, a soldier in the formation.
PLA ground force formation to demonstrate confident, imposing presence at upcoming military parade
China will roll out a series of targeted measures to stabilize investment and unlock greater space for private capital, an official said on Thursday.
Chen Changsheng, deputy director of the State Council Research Office who participated in the drafting of this year's Government Work Report, made the statement at a press briefing held in Beijing.
He noted that China will leverage the guiding role of government funding and the driving effect of major projects to shore up investment.
Total government investment this year is set to exceed five trillion yuan (about 725 billion U.S. dollars), which will come from central budget investment and local government special bonds for major national strategies and security capacity building projects and equipment upgrades. Meanwhile, 109 major projects have been planned in the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
China will also stimulate investment by opening up more application scenarios for businesses.
On the traditional front, a long-term mechanism will be improved to encourage private enterprises to participate in major national projects. For emerging sectors, China will further open scenarios in biomedicine, aerospace, and the low-altitude economy.
"Low-altitude economy has developed rapidly in recent years, with sound applications seen in fields such as agriculture, forestry plant protection, as well as surveying and inspection. Going forward, we will accelerate the opening of airspace resources and streamline approval procedures for low-altitude flights. This will unlock new scenarios including low-altitude logistics and urban management. Similar new opportunities can also be found in service robots and other sectors, all of which will create new space for private investment," Chen said.
By deepening reforms to further unlock investment potential, China will ease market access in the service sector, speed up revisions to the Bidding Law and the Government Procurement Law, and advance price reforms to broaden investment access for more enterprises.
"We will see a new round of investment potential unleashed. Major projects including the national water network, a new round of power grid upgrades, new generation communication networks, and computing power networks will drive massive investment, including demand from urban development. In addition, the campaign this year to expand and upgrade the service sector and the development of emerging industries will further expand space for private investment," Chen noted.
China to take measures to boost investment, expand space for private investment in 2026: official
