Xinhua, citing the State Council Information Office, said the V of the wall represented China's national unity as well as the usual meaning of victory.

The five doves "demonstrate the memory of history and the aspiration for peace, representing people from the five continents united and moving together towards a beautiful future after going through 'blood and fire'," Xinhua said.

The birds "also symbolise the Chinese people are flying to a future of great rejuvenation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China", Xinhua added.

The phrasing is a reference to President Xi Jinping's much-quoted concept of a "Chinese dream".

The logo's release comes in the run-up to the centrepiece of the commemorations, a huge military parade through Beijing on September 3 - the day after the anniversary of Japanese forces' formal surrender.

As well as victory over Japan, the events are also meant to mark the broader global defeat of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, regimes that were bound with Tokyo in the Axis alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will attend, and China's defence ministry has confirmed Russian troops will take part in the event.

Moscow held its own parade in May to celebrate victory over Nazi Germany, watched by Xi.

Most Western leaders stayed away due to lingering tensions over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. They are also expected to shun the Beijing parade, which will pass through Tiananmen Square

Beijing's Changan Avenue, which runs along the north side of the square, has been equipped with "an explosion-proof layer underneath" ahead of the parade, the newspaper reported.