Demonstration of military power and progress

Chinese President Xi Jinping capped a week of tumultuous diplomatic activity yesterday by presiding over one of China's largest military parades, demonstrating his nation's growing power and solidarity with authoritarian leaders Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

From an advanced nuclear-capable missile with a near-global range, to laser air defense systems, hypersonic weapons, and sea drones capable of swarming the surrounding seas - China yesterday sent a strong message of deterrence through its largest military parade to date.

In his speech, Xi presented China as a force serving world peace and against hegemony. “Today, humanity is once again facing a crucial choice: peace or war? Dialogue or confrontation? Mutually beneficial cooperation or rivalry that brings no one anything?” Xi said. “The Chinese people stand firmly on the right side of history, on the side of human civilization and progress.”

After reviewing troops lined up along Beijing's main east-west thoroughfare from an open limousine, Xi watched a parade of 45 formations, including newly formed units of the People's Liberation Army and several types of weapons never before seen in public.

The occasion marked the first time that the Chinese, Russian and North Korean leaders had gathered in the same place. Military analysts and diplomats said Xi used the event to send a message to a diverse group – from the United States and its allies, to neighbors and regional powers like India and Russia, to potential technology buyers.

“Regardless of all the operational issues that accompany some of these new elements, China has sent a message of technological advancement and military power on all fronts - there really is a lot that rival military planners will have to deal with,” Alexander Neil, a Singapore-based security analyst, told Reuters.

For the first time, China displayed its full nuclear triad - weapons that can be used from land, sea and air - including a redesigned DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 20.000 kilometers, as well as a new long-range mobile missile on road carriers, the DF-61.

In addition to the strategic level, the Chinese military has also shown determination to dominate its surrounding seas.

The wide range of new weapons could complicate the plans of the United States and its allies in any conflict in East Asia, James Char, an expert on Chinese defense at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told Reuters. “The combination of (sea) drones they have and missiles will create a space that foreign navies would not even be able to enter to intervene,” Char said.

More broadly, Char and other analysts added, China likely wanted to show smaller states that it now stands as a “guarantor of peace,” at a time when there are doubts about the political, diplomatic, and military role of the United States around the world.

In particular, new torpedo-shaped drones and a range of hypersonic weapons from the nuclear triad would pose a serious threat to the United States and its partners.

Even more so when combined with the growing number of Chinese DF-26 medium-range ballistic missiles, equipped with guided warheads capable of targeting ships and bases like Guam.

Analysts have long pointed out that in any conflict over Taiwan, China would have to effectively secure control of the South and East China Seas to ensure success - no easy task, given the traditional dominance of the US across East Asia.

The Chinese president said the People's Liberation Army would "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity" - code for Beijing's goal of taking control of Taiwan. "The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable," Xi added.

Behind the neatly demonstrated precision and discipline displayed at the parade in Beijing, questions remain about the actual capabilities and range of the new weapons, Reuters points out.

Although China has unveiled a new weapon that it claims is operational, whether it is actually operational remains another question, said military expert Chieh Chung, a researcher in Taipei at the Strategic Vision Association.

“Some weapons may be deployed on a smaller scale, undergoing 'field testing in use' and may not yet be fully standardized or ready for mass production,” he said.

Char, Neal and other analysts pointed to the high level of technology on display, particularly the apparent intent to unify disparate systems with air defense, combat command and control systems, and drones.

For example, the new Type-100 main battle tank was unveiled, packed with new systems, including air defense and reconnaissance drones.

Newly established units for space operations, cyberspace, and information support were also showcased, demonstrating a readiness to compete in advanced areas of space and electronic warfare.

“Western militaries may still have an operational advantage, but there’s no doubt that China wants to show that it’s catching up quickly,” said Neil, adding that the US is generally more cautious about revealing details about weapons it is developing. “I wonder if there’s an element of China wanting to sell this technology to other militaries… because there was a bit of trickery involved,” he added.

Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese studies at King’s College London, told the Financial Times that the parade was “a powerful demonstration of Chinese power, progress and strength, and therefore excellent for domestic propaganda.” But he added that while the parade might unsettle Western countries, the Chinese military and much of its weaponry have not been tested in combat.

“It all looks good,” Brown said. “They certainly know how to march, they can put on a great parade, but they haven’t been to war in decades. It’s a completely untested army.”

As the parade was underway, US President Donald Trump accused Xi, Putin and Kim of conspiring against the US and urged the Chinese leader to remember America's role during the war. "Many Americans died in China's fight for victory and glory. I hope they are rightly honored and remembered for their courage and sacrifice!" he posted on his social media account Truth Social. "Please convey my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you plot against the United States."

Asked about Trump's comment yesterday, Putin said that the US president has a sense of humor and added that all the officials he spoke with in China supported the Russian-American summit in Alaska and expressed hope that these talks could help end the war in Ukraine.

Trump said last night that he thought the military parade in China was a “beautiful ceremony,” but added that the United States should have been mentioned during the speech. “I think it was a beautiful ceremony. I think it was very, very impressive,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

"I watched the speech last night. President Xi is a friend of mine, but he thinks the US should have been mentioned during that speech because we have helped China very, very much."