Over 94% Chinese are Looking Forward to the National Day Military Parade

Anchor: China's biggest military parade in a decade is ready to showcase the country's economic and technological progress and the modernization of its national defense system.

As the most eye-catching activity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China, the military parade will feature China's newest domestic weaponry, including nuclear and ballistic missiles.

With not much time left, what do Chinese and foreigners think about this event? And are they looking forward to witnessing the military parade?

Follow our reporter Zhangcheng to find more details.

When asked if they are paying close attention to, or will watch the upcoming military parade, most of those asked answered like this.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to the great event very much."

"I will watch the live broadcast of the parade on TV."

According to a survey conducted by the Beijing-based China Youth Daily, over 94 percent of respondents in China's 31 provinces and regions expressed their expectations for the military parade. Among them, almost 66 percent stated their expectations were very high.

Zhang Aiqing, a senior citizen living in north China's Shan'xi province, is one such fan of the military parade. He came to Beijing days ago in order to watch the grand event on National Day.

"The 60th anniversary of the founding of New China is a significant day for the whole of China. It marks China's profound changes of the past 60 years. Activities such as the military parade are a good platform to showcase the country's economic power, national defense and technological power."

Zhang Aiqing said he participated in a mass parade in his hometown to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Founding of New China in 1959. Recalling that period, he still feels the excitement of the occasion.

"I participated in a local mass parade to celebrate the 10th anniversary in Shan'xi province in 1959. I can still remember how I couldn't sleep on the eve of National Day. 50 years have passed. Now I'm staying at the closest place to the military parade. I was once a soldier and I feel exited to watch the brave, handsome soldiers walking in their different regiments."

Some Chinese living overseas will also be paying close attention to the military parade this year. Dong Tao is an overseas student studying in New York's Fordham University.

"I will check which channel in the US will broadcast the parade on National Day. If there's none, I will watch it on the internet. For Chinese overseas students, we're hugely interested in the country's biggest-ever military parade."

And it's not only Chinese that are looking forward to the parade, foreigners living and working in China are also interested in the once-a-decade parade.

Judas Arrieta, an artist from Spain is one of them.

"I have been in China for five years and it's amazing what they are going to do and I'll see what is going to be."

However, Judas says he can only imagine how crowded Tian'an Men square will be on national day, so he won't go there, but will watch it on TV instead.

He said, with China's rapid development in the past 60 years, Chinese people's sense of pride has increased day by day. In his motherland - Spain, he could never see such a big event happening.

"It's quite incredible for us to think we're able to hold such a big thing. But in China, people are proud to attend, to do this kind of things. I think people from China are proud to be a Chinese. The military parade shows how capable the country is to do such a big event, just like last year's Olympic Games."

The parade will feature around 5,000 personnel, tanks, missile-carrying vehicles and more than 150 aircraft.

Meanwhile, 52 new weapon systems developed with China's own technologies will be showcased at the military parade and 90 percent of them are to be exposed to the public for the first time.

The once-a-decade military parade will begin at 10am Beijing time.

Zhangcheng, CRI News.