The world's largest military just threw a massive parade to celebrate the end of World War II

APChinese soldiers in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on Thursday at a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender during World War II.

China held an extravagant military parade on Thursday in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender to Allied powers and the end of World War II.

Though there was a dearth of high-level Western leaders at the parade because of China's power-grabbing attempts in the South China Sea, numerous senior politicians did attend including Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korean President Park Geun-hye. But more than sending a political message, the parade provides an important look into the national and military character of the most populous country in the world.

On full display in China's parade were domestically produced tanks, drones, ballistic missiles, and more.

The slides below show China's impressive military parade: