PLA Honor Guard set for Red Square parade

陈小将

The People's Liberation Army Honor Guard has prepared well to take part in the spectacular military parade that will mark the 80th anniversary celebrations of the victory of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War on Friday in Moscow, Russia, in a demonstration of China's commitment to maintaining world peace.

The 119 members of the PLA Honor Guard have already participated in three rehearsals — on April 29, Saturday and Wednesday — for the parade at Red Square in Moscow.

In a statement released on Monday, the Chinese Defense Ministry said the PLA Honor Guard was invited by the defense ministries of Russia and Belarus to participate in commemorative parades marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War in Moscow and Minsk.

Meanwhile, videos of the members of the Honor Guard participating in the rehearsals in Moscow have sparked widespread discussions on Chinese social media.

In the videos, the guards can be seen singing popular Chinese military songs while marching, as Chinese students and local residents warmly cheer them on.

"When I guarded the Chinese flag down the streets of Moscow and saw countless Chinese expatriates waving the national flag, I felt that the flag is a symbol of faith, direction and the dreams and hopes of countless Chinese people," Cui Hangteng, a member of the Honor Guard squad, was quoted by China Media Group as saying after a rehearsal.

"This warmth is our strength in this mission," he added.

In another widely circulated video, the Honor Guard soldiers can be seen chanting slogans, such as "Remember history, commemorate the martyrs" and "Justice will prevail. Peace will prevail. The people will prevail", as they march down the streets. Crowds of onlookers can be seen responding enthusiastically, shouting, "Long live China!"

Another popular video shows the Honor Guard members singing Ode to the Motherland, one of China's best known patriotic songs, accompanied by a Chinese woman in the crowd playing a bamboo flute.

Liu Chao, another member of the Honor Guard, told China Media Group that to further demonstrate the friendship between China and Russia, they also learned to sing classic Russian songs.

During the rehearsals in Red Square, they chanted "Long live China-Russia friendship. Long live world peace" in Russian.

Upon arriving in Moscow, the Honor Guard squad had to adjust to the time difference and change in weather. They trained rigorously to ensure a high-standard performance.

Another team member, Zhang Dingxin, said that they drew from previous experience of international appearances, actively overcoming the adverse effects of time and temperature differences, as well as changes in environment. They especially made plans to cope with possible adverse weather conditions and unexpected situations to ensure a spectacular parade appearance.

In 2015, members of the PLA Honor Guard participated in a military parade in Moscow commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.