China showcased its largest-ever display of military hardware Wednesday, unveiling new intercontinental missiles, hypersonic weapons, underwater drones, and laser defense systems in a sweeping show of force that analysts said was aimed at the United States, regional powers, and potential arms buyers.
At the parade, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stood alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, underscoring Beijing's alignment with states at odds with Washington. The event, staged in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, drew more than 20 foreign heads of state and was designed as both a demonstration of capability and a political signal.
For the first time, China publicly displayed its full nuclear triad - land, sea, and air-based systems - including the DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 20,000 kilometers and the road-mobile DF-61. Analysts said the combination of these systems with medium-range DF-26 "Guam killer" missiles complicates U.S. and allied planning in the Indo-Pacific. "The combination of the (sea) ... drones they have and also the missiles, it will create an area that external navies couldn't even enter to intervene," said James Char, a defense scholar at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
The arsenal highlighted Beijing's growing focus on missile capabilities to offset U.S. naval dominance. Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based security analyst, said China's ability to rapidly produce advanced munitions and platforms provides a potential battlefield edge. "China has the ability to churn out munitions, ships, all these platforms... the state can just make these directives and off they go," he said.
The display also emphasized artificial intelligence and drone warfare. Systems included the AJX-002 extra-large uncrewed submarine drone, the stealth GJ-11 "loyal wingman" aerial drone, and robotic ground systems dubbed "robotic wolves." Michael Raska, a military scholar at Nanyang Technological University, said China was moving toward replacing traditional military structures with AI-powered systems. "They believe they can control AI. They are going all the way to integrate it into their systems," he said.
Among other new technologies were the LY-1 laser weapon, designed to disable electronics or blind pilots, and advanced tanks such as the Type-100 fitted with reconnaissance drones. New aerospace, cyberspace, and information units were also on parade, signaling Beijing's intent to compete in space and electronic warfare domains.
Still, questions remain about the operational readiness of the systems. "Some weapons may still be in limited deployment to units, undergoing 'field testing during deployment,' and may not yet be fully standardised or ready for mass production," said Chieh Chung, a researcher at Taiwan's Association of Strategic Foresight.
