Japan said Thursday it was "disappointed" there were no signs of rapprochement in Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech to mark the 70th anniversary of Tokyo's WWII defeat, as Beijing showed off its growing might with a huge military parade.

"Tokyo had requested that Beijing make sure that the event was not so anti-Japanese, but instead contain elements of rapprochement between Japan and China," top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

"It was disappointing that such elements were not in President Xi Jinping's speech today."