Today, reporters observed hundreds of troops in dress uniform and full battle attire engaging in eight hours of daily marching practice along a tarmac strip similar to the avenue they will march down in the heart of Beijing.

With officers watching closely, they balanced on one foot before stepping forward on command, then swivelled 90 degrees to march back the way they had come. 

The army, navy, air force, Second Artillery Corps and Armed Police would all roll out new hardware and weapons, said Qu Rui, deputy director of the Office for the Parade Leading Team and deputy chief of the operations department of the PLA General Staff Headquarters.

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Twenty-seven armed formations of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), along with 10 formations of helicopters and aircraft will take part in the parade through Tiananmen Square on September 3.

Qu said 84 per cent of the selected military hardware had not been shown publicly before. "They include about 500 pieces of land equipment and nearly 200 aircraft of more than 20 types," he said.

China insists the parade is about marking the 70th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, remembering the sacrifices of past generations and demonstrating its commitment to future peace.

“This is not about extending hatred, but about reflecting on history and facing the future,” the head trainer of the parade’s infantry component, Colonel Liu Shijun, told reporters today.

Despite that, the parade is widely seen as a high-profile display of the People’s Liberation Army’s fast-growing capabilities, and comes as China is growing more active in asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

Those moves have prompted its concerned neighbors to boost their own capabilities, and the U.S. military to renew its commitments to regional allies. 

Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Dong said China was developing new arms at an unprecedented rate.

"There is no doubt about the fast-growing armament industry," Wong said.

"New weapons come out every week. This parade will affirm to the public the military's growing capability."

It was common to showcase advanced weaponry with military parades, Qu said. "It represents transparency, peace and friendliness … it's not meant for any particular country," he said.

Grand military parades were initially held each year, on National Day, until the late 1950s. There were others in 1984, 1999 and - most recently - 2009, to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

This year's parade will be held on September 3, a day after the 70th anniversary of Japan formally signing the surrender. It is also the first under President Xi Jinping.

About 12,000 PLA troops will march while 2,400 singers perform 30 revolutionary songs in the 70-minute event.

Small military contingents from more than 10 countries including Russia and Kazakhstan would join the march, Qu said. He would not list all of the participating countries but said "all the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and America" would be represented.

"Their participation is a clear indication of the attitude of commemorating the joint victory of the anti-fascist war and is a symbol … of enduring world peace," he said.

The parade will also include veterans or their children from both the Communist and Kuomintang forces who fought against the Japanese invasion.

Most of the veterans are in their 90s while their children are in their late 70s.

China’s last such military parade was in 2009 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. 

With additional reporting by Associated Press