With swarms of fighter jets and helicopters flying overhead, some 12,000 troops marched through the center of Beijing as China marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II with its biggest ever display of military might.

Presiding over the extravaganza on Thursday, President Xi Jinping, the country's most powerful leader in decades, said that China would remain committed to "the path of peaceful development" and unexpectedly pledged to cut 300,000 troops from its 2.3-million strong military.

The parade was the first since Xi came to power in 2012 -- but it was largely shunned by Western leaders, including China's former wartime allies, the United States and UK.