Global Times: Xi attends Russia's Victory Day celebrations in Red Square

BEIJING, May 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended on Friday celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War in Moscow. Leaders from more than 20 countries and international organizations were invited to the events, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Friday morning. The leaders then walked to the Red Square together and took their seats at the main reviewing stand, according to Xinhua.

At 10:00 am local time, as the chimes of the Kremlin clock rang out, the celebrations began. As the military band played The Sacred War, the honor guards marched in.

President Putin delivered a speech at the parade. According to a release from the Kremlin, Putin said that Russian people "remember the lessons of World War II (WWII) and will never agree with the distortion of those events or attempts to justify the murderers and slander the true victors."

"We highly appreciate the contribution made to our common struggle by the Allied armies, members of the Resistance, the courageous people of China, and all those who fought for a peaceful future," said the Russian president.

May 9 marks the day of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War. 80 years ago, the army and the people of the Soviet Union fought dauntlessly to drive the German fascists out of their homeland and went on with soldiers and civilians from other countries to conquer Berlin, gaining victory in the battlefield of the World Anti-fascist War in Europe.

Aspiration for peace

Following Putin's speech, the grand military parade began as the military band played the Russian national anthem and gun salutes echoed across the Red Square. Marching in unison, the formations passed through the square one after another, Xinhua reported.

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov reviewed the grand parade, which involved over 11,000 troops and 183 WWII and advanced weapons systems, according to Tass news agency.

In the "historical" part of the parade, Russian service members, dressed in uniforms from the era of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, proudly carried the military flags and weapons of that time, evoking memories of the years of resistance against fascism, according to Xinhua.

In the "modern" part, formations of Russia's various military branches and modern weaponry units passed by the reviewing stand. The Russian Aerospace Forces' flight formations roared overhead, soaring across the skies above the Red Square, according to the report.

WWII T-34 tanks, a major symbol of the Victory, led the mechanized column during the military parade on Red Square, as per tradition, Tass reported. 

For the first time, a column of unmanned systems troops took part in the military parade on Moscow's Red Square, said Tass, noting that Russia's Missile Troops and Strategic Missile Force were represented at the military parade as well.

Armed forces formations from more than 10 countries, including China, were also invited to participate in the parade, said Xinhua.

The Global Times has learned that 119 service members from the PLA Guard of Honor participated in the military parade, of whom 102 appeared on Red Square. Their average height was 1.87 meters, and their average age was 20.

In 2015, the PLA Guard of Honor participated for the first time in Russia's military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War. Analysts view the latest invitation as an important tribute to the China-Russia friendship forged in the anti-fascist war, a resolute defense of the just legacy of WWII, and a powerful reaffirmation of both countries' commitment to global peace.

As troops of the PLA honor guard marched in gallant array with high morale as well as firm and forceful steps on Friday, President Xi stood up to greet them, China Central Television reported.

"Participating in this celebration showcases the Chinese military's image and conveys our nation's aspiration for peace and commitment to safeguarding it," said Zhang Dingxin, Commander of the PLA Honor Guard. Ahead of the mission, the unit engaged in focused study sessions on World War II history, particularly the Soviet Union's role in the Great Patriotic War, to deepen their understanding of the event's significance.

"We represent our country's image and fulfill the sacred mission of safeguarding peace. As our nation grows stronger, Chinese soldiers are ever more confident and capable of contributing to global peace and development," Wang Zihe, a member of the honor guard, told the Global Times.

Take history as mirror

Following the celebrations, Xi, along with other leaders, walked from the Red Square to Alexander Garden, where they laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and observed a moment of silence, per Xinhua.

In a signed article published Wednesday by the Russian Gazette newspaper, Xi said the profound friendship forged with blood and lives in the World Anti-Fascist War has become an inexhaustible source of the everlasting amity between China and Russia.

He said historical memory and truth will not fade with the passage of time. They serve as inspirations that mirror the present and illuminate the future. "We must draw wisdom and strength from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics," reads Xi's signed article, per Xinhua. 

During his meeting with Putin on Thursday in Moscow, Xi said that history and reality have fully proved that continuing to develop and deepen China-Russia relations is integral to carrying forward the friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation, per Xinhua.

As Moscow commemorated the victory in the Great Patriotic War, Global Times reporters observed enthusiastic crowds cheering and waving Russian and Soviet Victory Day flags.

Among the spectators, the Nikolayevic family stood out. Komarov Ilya Nikolaevich, whose father fought in the 1945 liberation of Berlin, was joined by his wife, Maria and their 11-year-old daughter Sofia, both dressed in Soviet Red Army uniforms to honor the occasion.

"Victory Day is a solemn and moving moment for me," Ilya told the Global Times. "Without that victory 80 years ago, we wouldn't be here today."

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Ilya expressed keen interest in China's commemorative events, viewing them as part of humanity's shared struggle for peace. "I know China suffered immense losses in that war," he said. "China's victory is also a victory for the Russian people." Ilya added that he hopes to visit China to learn more about its history and contributions to the global fight against fascism.

"For common people, this is the way to remember their relatives, who managed to deal with the unbearable, for modern people, burden of war, millions of deaths, destruction of economy and crimes against humanity… For professionals, whether it will be scholars or politicians, this is a reminder of what humanity can do to harm itself without mutual trust, respect, dialogue and strong international institutions," said Maksim Vilisov, Leading Research Fellow at the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He said that commemorating the end of WWII is absolutely crucial. "Without that, the lessons of this catastrophe cannot be learned."

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that the leader's visit is a crucial step for China and Russia as well as other Global South countries to ensure global strategic balance, stability, and security through closer coordination and cooperation in a world marked by turbulence and complexity.

"History shows that hegemonism and power politics lead to conflicts and wars, causing immense trauma and tragedy for all humanity. To avoid such tragedies, a profound understanding and grasp of historical lessons is essential," Li said.

According to the expert, China's emphasis on history reflects not only a sense of shared responsibility for humanity but also a strong determination to safeguard its core national interests.

This article first appeared in Global Times: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1333700.shtml 

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SOURCE Global Times