MOSCOW, May 9 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that China was the main battlefield in Asian countries' resistance against militarism in WWII, sacrificing millions of lives.

Putin made the remarks in a speech delivered at the start of a grand military parade held in Red Square to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII.

The Russian president said the commemoration today is meant to build a peaceful and tranquil future based on equality and non-alignment among countries.