On September 3, 2025, the security checks at the September 3 military parade held by the Chinese Communist Party were unprecedentedly strict, with instructions like “Nothing, not even a speck of dust, can be left in your backpack.” The atmosphere was tense and somber. Even the media underwent multiple security checks, with restrictions on bringing items like lipstick and eyebrow pencils. Additionally, in Beijing, schools were closed, traffic was redirected, and the areas surrounding Tiananmen Square were completely locked down. Residents could not even step outside and look out of their windows.
As the Chinese Communist Party’s September 3 military parade began at 9 a.m., there was already a palpable sense of tension and seriousness, as reported by ETtoday. The media team gathered at the Mei Diya Center at 3:30 in the morning and underwent layers of security checks. Even the breakfast bags distributed in the morning, containing items like milk, bread, and chocolate, had to pass through security checks before they could be opened and taken onboard.
Food items were also subject to inspection and seals, and personal belongings had to undergo scrutiny, including body searches. Female journalists were not allowed to bring items like eyebrow pencils or lipstick into the venue if they were capable of making marks. Later, they received their breakfast bags, which included three kinds of bread, two chocolates, one bottle of mineral water, one bottle of milk, two sausages, and one vacuum-packed marinated egg. The bags were sealed and could only be opened after a second security check; otherwise, they could not be carried into the main venue.
CNN’s China correspondent, Simone McCarthy, revealed the on-site situation, stating that journalists had to undergo multiple security checks and were strictly limited on what they could bring into the venue, with items like beverages and food not permitted.
McCarthy mentioned that she left her office at 6 a.m. and the journalists on-site had to go through a multi-step security check process. First, journalists had to register and undergo security checks at the Chinese state media center, then take a bus to the square, and undergo another security check before reaching their seats.
She also noted that there were very strict controls on what could be brought into the venue, including a ban on food and drinks.
Moreover, NBC NEWS correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer pointed out that the security measures taken this time were unprecedented, with schools closed, traffic diverted, and the areas surrounding Tiananmen Square completely locked down, preventing residents from stepping outside or even looking out of their windows.
Frayer mentioned that their local office was inspected by various Chinese authorities, and the day before the event, they were forced to evacuate, with police blocking the entrance to ensure they couldn’t return before the event ended. Additionally, the government warned against bringing any items that could be used for propaganda, extending the restrictions to include cosmetics.
According to a report by Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily, by less than 3:30 a.m. on September 3, many reporters had already gathered at the meeting point across from the Mei Diya News Center at the China Millennium Monument, where all items brought in had to be placed in the security check boxes for inspection, including tissues and keys. Even small items had to be taken out for machine inspection, and journalists had to undergo identity verification and full-body security checks. Veteran journalists who had covered the military parades in 2015 and 2019 expressed their amazement at the meticulousness of the security checks this time.