BEIJING, September 6 (RIA Novosti) - Tanks, rocket launchers and armored personnel carriers moved on Sunday along the streets of China's capital Beijing to practice a military parade to mark the country's 60th anniversary due October 1.

Many streets will be blocked for traffic until Monday morning as the People's Republic of China is rehearsing the event that will show off the achievements of China's defense industry for the past decade.

The rehearsal took place unexpectedly: earlier Xinhua reported that the event, which is expected to cost about $44 million, was postponed due to rainy weather.

The previous parade on a central Beijing square was held in 1999 and involved 11,000 servicemen, 400 combat vehicles and 132 aircraft.