Evolution of Chinese Military Parades: From Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping, an Overview of the 17 Tiananmen Military Parades Since 1949

Separated by ten years, China once again hosted the ‘9.3 Military Parade’ – an event where Xi Jinping broke with tradition and established a new military parade platform in 2015. Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the CCP has organized a total of 17 Tiananmen Military Parades. Looking at the timeline, these can be divided into four stages: the ‘Ten-Year Military Parades’ from 1949 to 1959, the ‘Deng Xiaoping Military Parade’ in 1984, the ‘Jiang-Hu Period’ in 1999 and 2009, and finally the three events in the ‘Xi Jinping era’ (including the current one). The focus of the military parades has always been on showcasing weapons, attendees, and the current political climate.