A military parade is held to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) at Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Jianhua)

China on Sunday kicked off its first-ever military parade that commemorates Army Day, flexing its military muscle and showing off its advanced domestically-made weapons.

According to Thepaper.cn, dozens of China’s leading weaponry and technology companies had participated in the grand military parade, sending their most cutting-edge military equipment and arsenals. Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the country’s aviation technology giant, showcased 129 domestically-designed warplanes during the event, adding that 40 percent of its latest military equipment was shown for the first time at the parade.

Twenty-four helicopters fly in the formation of the number "90" symbolizing the epic journey of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 90 years during a military parade at Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 30, 2017. China on Sunday kicked off a grand military parade to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the PLA. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

The China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, a leading technology group that specializes in communication equipment and software development, used over 70 auxiliaries and some security equipment to ensure that the parade ran smoothly. The company’s airborne early warning aircrafts that can monitor multiple targets simultaneously and transmit data instantly were also a hit at the parade.

Tanks are reviewed in a military parade at Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 30, 2017. China on Sunday kicked off a grand military parade to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Once reliant on foreign countries for its arsenal, China has been making great efforts to design and modernize its military forces. President Xi Jinping, who is also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, highlighted theoretical and technological innovation as the key to upgrade the country’s military and national defense in 2016, urging the armed forces to fully implement an innovation-driven development strategy.