Mainland residents who watched the September 3 Victory-Day military parade in the capital said they were "proud" to have witnessed China's growth over recent years, saying the wide range of new weapons displayed showed the country will "no longer be bullied".

The remarks came as Beijing staged its largest military parade in years to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The nation also unveiled some of its latest military hardware not seen by the public before, including the DF-61, the country's most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, and the GJ-11, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed for precision strikes and aerial missions.

Speaking in an interview with RTHK, a resident who watched the parade near Chang'an Avenue said he was "excited" to witness the show, as the victory in the War of Resistance was hard won.

"I was only three years old when our country won the war against Japan back then, and now I am 83 years old, and I have seen how our motherland grew stronger to where it is now, we are no longer bullied," he said.

"The young generation should really learn more about the history of Japan's military aggression against China.

"When China was weak, the Japanese soldiers not only invaded China, but massacred 300,000 innocent civilians in Nanjing, and China lost nearly 30 million people. Therefore, the peaceful life we have today is hard won," he told RTHK.

Meanwhile, the resident, who once hoped to join the country's air forces but then switched to become a teacher, said young people should love their country.

"Today, we've seen the multi-faceted development of our country's military industry, like the bombers, fighter jets, various arms clusters, as well as artificial intelligence, robot dogs, and all various kinds of unmanned loading and unloading equipment.

"They were all well-developed, and the aircraft carriers have also emerged.

"I think young people, they should have a patriotic heart and work hard in all industries and all walks of life," he said.

Another resident, who took photographs of the newly unveiled arms, said he has finally fulfilled his wish to film Chinese aviation arms, after failing to do so at the Zhuhai Airshow last year due to unideal weather.

"Actually where I am here is not the best location [to take the shots], and I only managed to take some shots of the 'bellies' of the fighter jets, but I am really happy as earlier it was forecast to rain, but the weather is quite good," he said.

"I think the parade overall showcased that China has all various kinds of military equipment, and all of them are quite well developed.

"I think China can play a more proactive role on the international stage, and demonstrate more proactive foreign policies, instead of continuing to keep a low profile as it has done before," he said.