China's Xi says world faces war or peace as he hosts major parade

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Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a major military parade in Beijing on Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of China's defeat of Japan in World War II with a warning that the world is at a crossroads.

"Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum," Xi said, speaking in front of a large image of former leader Mao Zedong at Tiananmen Square.

Xi added that the Chinese people stood firmly on the right side of history, civilization and progress, adding that China would remain committed to a path of peaceful development. After his speech, Xi inspected the lined-up troops in a motorcade.

The parade, attended by 26 world leaders including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, includes thousands of soldiers and hundreds of military vehicles in dozens of formations.

China plans to display newly developed domestic weapons systems to demonstrate its growing military capabilities.