A huge portrait of Xi Jinping is displayed in the National Day mass pageantry celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

With a grand military parade and an ultra-modern equipment show off by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at Tiananmen Square on 1 October on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the world’s second largest economy has now clearly hinted its new position in regard to military might.

During the massive parade, the PLA showed off China’s most advanced and powerful Dongfeng-41 nuclear missile, showcasing China’s strong military prowess besides the country’s economic leapfrog as a key engine for global growth.

The celebration took place at the centre of Beijing with the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, two former presidents and other top leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and involved long formations of around 580 advanced military weapons including the DF-17 hypersonic missile and other missiles as well as an aerobatic aerial show done by the Chinese Air Force.

Ahead of the parade, Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his highly-sophisticated speech, said that “no force can ever shake the status of China, or stop the Chinese nation from marching forward” and reiterated China's resilience to move forward with its grand economic plans and a continuous struggle to help people of all countries to push for jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Besides the military parade, the celebration was a complete package showcasing China’s history regarding the achievements made in the past 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. The massive event attended by tens of thousands of people from different countries across the globe was a firsthand experience to learn about China’s real picture about its leadership, the CPC as well as the scientific achievements and people’s hard work, dedication and a great respect to their nation.

During his speech, President Xi said that the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force should always preserve their nature, purpose and character as the power of the people, and use it to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly uphold world peace.

In the words of President Xi, the Chinese society has embarked on the path of realizing national rejuvenation by resolutely safeguarding its key national interests while upholding principles for the global cause.

The parade described as China’s most important political event for the year has not only displayed the remarkable achievements of China since the founding of the People's Republic of China, it has also brought about strong leadership by the CPC and invigorated firm commitment from the Chinese people regarding their leadership.

Likewise, the schoolchildren and young people displaying their energy in the parade and the iconic emblems reflecting the people of China's struggle against hardships and foreign aggression were impeccable and fabulous. All they described was about China’s struggling past and the hard-earned achievements. The parade also showcased the agrarian Chinese society to the modern scientific and technical innovation made by China and its efforts for realizing green development.

Another interesting aspect of the celebration of the 70th National Day was the flawless management by the officials, volunteers and officials. Each attendee was supported by volunteers, offering drinking water, beverages and well-arranged seat amongst other things. This is really something praiseworthy.

So for me, observing the National Day Parade of the PRC was a superb chance to witness an amalgamation of past and present, and think about the possible future prospects of China.

After witnessing the whole parade and listening to the speech of President Xi Jinping, everyone could realize the future path of China as told by Xi to ‘jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity’. 

The author is a senior vice editor with the National News Agency, Nepal and is currently participating in the China Asia Pacific Press Center 2019 program in Beijing.