China marks WWII anniversary with display of military power

China showcased its military might in a parade on Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a show of strength as it seeks to wield greater influence on the global stage.

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Leader Xi Jinping, speaking before the parade, paid tribute to Chinese veterans of the war. Since coming to power in 2012, he has sought to build China into a country that cannot be bullied and is strong enough to stand up to foreign powers.

"The Chinese people are a people that are not afraid of violence and are self-reliant and strong," he said. The Chinese military showed off aerial and underwater drones, hypersonic missiles and fighter jets and bombers in a 90-minute event attended by the leaders of about two dozen countries, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

The splashy commemoration of the anniversary is a way to boost support for Communist Party rule by showing the progress made by China. The country was a major front in the war where millions died during Japan's invasion.

Xi, who has been positioning China as a stabilizing force in an unstable world, said humanity must choose between peace and war and dialogue and confrontation.

"The Chinese people's rejuvenation cannot be blocked, and the noble goal of the peaceful development of human civilization must triumph," Xi said at the end of his speech.