China showcased its developing military might at a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on Wednesday.

The parade, which lasted about 90 minutes, exhibited missiles, fighter jets and other military hardware, some of it displayed publicly for the first time.

The event began with troops marching in rhythmic lockstep, their boots echoing off the pavement, to be reviewed by President Xi Jinping, who heads China’s military as chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Xi rode by the entire length of their formations along Beijing’s central Chang’an Avenue in a classic black limousine.

He stood up through the vehicle's sunroof with four microphones lined in front of him and greeted flanks of personnel as he passed them and rows of armaments and military vehicles.

They shouted back mottos in unison such as “We serve the people.”

The weaponry in the parade included hypersonic missiles designed to take out ships at sea. They are of particular concern to the U.S. Navy, which patrols the western Pacific from its 7th Fleet headquarters in Japan.

Underwater drones, including the AJX002, a long, black, tube-shaped craft that looks like a narrow submarine with a rear propeller, were also displayed along with a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61, which could carry nuclear warheads to distant targets.

Fighter jets and bombers flew across the sky, some painting rows of different-colored exhaust in unison.

Helicopters flew in formation, one group of 26 spelling out the number “80” for the war's anniversary year.

In a speech before the parade Xi said humanity must choose between peace and war and dialogue and confrontation.

Xi started a brief address by remembering the Chinese veterans of the war and called for the eradication of the roots of war to prevent history from repeating itself.

But his main message was forward looking: Today, China is strong, fears no one and is ready to take a leading role in the world.

About two dozen foreign leaders watched the parade from an elevated point on the historic Tiananmen Gate, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Domestically, the commemoration of the anniversary is a way to show the progress made by China, which was a major front in the war where millions died as a result of Japan's invasion.

The military parade was also a show of strength to boost support for the Communist Party and its leader, Xi, domestically and a way to portray itself as a global alternative to the American-dominated postwar era.

AP video shot by: Tian Macleod Ji