(Photo: CNN)

President Xi Jinping said that over the past 7 decades, China has gained many achievements during its national construction and development, adding that the entire Party, army, and people will continue to build solidarity to move toward a brighter future for the entire nation.

“We should consistently follow a path for peace, and implement an open-door strategy for mutual success and benefit, and join in efforts with peoples around the world to build a harmonious global community,” Xi said.

The meeting was followed by a 65-minute parade involving 15,000 people and 59 military bands, together with 160 aircraft and 580 weapons of various kinds.

This largest scale parade in recent years offered an opportunity for China to display its state-of-the-art weapons.

A 90-minute performance was held the same day attracting thousands of people at  Tiananmen Square.