BEIJING (TIP): Close on the heels of India inviting US President Barack Obama for its Republic Day parade, China on January 28 announced plans to hold a major military parade and inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Departing from a practice of conducting such events once in a decade, China will hold the military parade this year in Beijing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victories of World War II, official media here reported. China will tighten security for the event, Fu Zhenghua, chief of the Beijing Public Security Bureau was quoted as saying by state run China-org.cn.

The Chinese foreign ministry has confirmed that Russian state leaders will attend the war commemoration, making this the first time that foreign state leaders will attend a Chinese military parade. President Vladimir Putin 8%is likely to be present at the event.

China usually holds a military parade every 10 years to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The most recent parade was held in 2009