China holds a massive military parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II. People attending the event wave flags. Photo: VCG

Compatriots from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) who attended China's V-day commemorations said it was a great honor to take part in the events on Wednesday in Beijing. "We felt proud and deeply inspired," one interviewee told the Global Times. 

"I feel truly honored and excited to witness the parade. It was breathtaking, powerful, and deeply moving," Angus Ng Hok-ming, chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association who attended the commemorations at Tiananmen Square, told the Global Times. 

"Seeing our soldiers marching with such precision, the advanced weapons, armored vehicles, drones, and even intercontinental missiles on display—it showed not only that China has stood up, but that we are now strong and prosperous," Ng said. 

The HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee led a delegation comprising about 360 members from various sectors of the community to Beijing to attend the commemorative activities of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3, the HKSAR government announced on Monday.

"What excited me most was that this parade marked the first since China fully embarked on a new journey of modernization. All the weapons and equipment on display were domestically made, active main battle systems, with many new models revealed to the public for the first time," Lee said in a post published on Chinese X-like Weibo platform on Wednesday. 

This fully demonstrated the military's strong capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as to contribute to world peace, Lee said. 

The parade not only showcased the achievements of China's national defense and military development in the new era, but also declared to the world that the Chinese people will always remember history, cherish peace, and firmly safeguard the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, he noted. 

"National security and national interests must ultimately be safeguarded through hard power, and the military is a crucial part of that. Anyone following the news knows that conflicts occur around the world daily," Victor Chan Chi-ho, Senior Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Youth Commentators Association who attended the event on Wednesday, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

"As a Chinese citizen, being able to attend this grand military parade and witness cutting-edge weaponry up close greatly strengthened my confidence in the central government's commitment to protecting national security and ensuring the well-being of the people. It also reinforced my confidence in China's future development," he said. 

Some delegates from Macao also expressed their excitement about witnessing this historic and solemn moment in person.

"This ceremony fully showcases the great spirit of our nation's resistance, the remarkable achievements of China's modernization, and the brilliance of our defense development," Choi Man Cheng Angelo, president of Macao-Taiwan Exchange Federation, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Witnessing these accomplishments firsthand fills me with pride and inspiration, strengthening the unity, confidence, and sense of responsibility of all Chinese people, Choi said. 

Each of us is both a witness and participant in this great journey, contributing to the nation's high-quality development and the realization of the Chinese nation's great rejuvenation, he added. 

Pok Hei Leong, graduated from Pui Ching Middle School Macau in 2025 and Stanford University Undergraduate Class of 2029, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the most striking moment today was seeing President Xi and other world leaders shake hands with our centenarian war veterans.

"It was deeply moving because it showed that these soldiers' sacrifices and contributions are still recognized. Eighty years later, China has grown strong, and today we can stand tall and proudly declare: we are Chinese," Leong said.