China's military parade, scheduled for September 3 in Beijing, aims to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and to demonstrate China's steadfast determination to pursue peaceful development, Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei said on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, Hong said the parade also aims to show China's great capability of safeguarding world peace.
"The love for peace has been integrated into the lifeblood of the Chinese nation. The Chinese people, who suffered greatly from the aggression of foreign powers, cherish the hard-won peace. We hold the military parade to show a steadfast determination to follow a path of peaceful development, a strong will to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a great capability of safeguarding world peace," said Hong.
"In terms of peace and security, China is the country with the best records in the world. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, we have never stirred up any war, never occupied even an inch of land from another country, and never launched any proxy war. China is the only country that has inscribed the following of a path of peaceful development in its constitution and has dispatched the largest number of peacekeepers among all permanent members of the UN Security Council. China has proposed the Global Security Initiative, adopted a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable outlook on security and offered solutions to problems related to the deficit in security," he said.
"The growth of China's strength will provide more positive energy for the promotion of world peace. Regardless of China's development, it will never pursue hegemony, expansion, or an arms race. It will firmly serve as a force to promote peace, stability and progress. We are willing to work with other countries to make contributions to achieving lasting world peace and development," said the assistant foreign minister.
V-Day parade shows China's determination to pursue peaceful development: official
