China holds lavish parade to celebrate WWII victorySeptember 3, 2015 - 11:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - China held a lavish parade in Beijing to mark victory in World War Two, showcasing its military might on an unprecedented scale, BBC News reports. President Xi Jinping in his opening speech paid tribute to "the Chinese people who unwaveringly fought hard and defeated aggression" from Japan. He also said the People's Liberation Army would be reduced by 300,000 personnel, but gave no timeframe. More than 30 foreign government officials and heads of state including Russia's President Vladimir Putin and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the event. Some 12,000 troops and 200 aircraft, as well as tanks and missiles, were on display in Tiananmen Square, including the anti-ship "carrier killer" missile Dongfeng-21D. More than 80% of the machinery on display was being shown to the general public for the first time, according to state media. President Xi, also the commander of the armed forces, was center stage at the parade's proceedings.He made the troop reduction announcement in a speech where he reassured the global community that "China will remain committed to peaceful development". China is also upgrading its naval and air forces, so does not need as many boots on the ground to project its power around the world, a BBC correspondent reported from the parade. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |