‘Unstoppable’: What China’s military parade really means
As China proudly shows off their latest arsenal of weapons, there is one very clear message their leader wants to send to the world.
New drones. New lasers. New missiles. New aircraft. New tanks. Crisply uniformed soldiers marching in lock-step in a display of their nation’s pride and might.
Chairman Xi Jinping basked in the glow of his celebration of technological and military prowess. He proclaimed it has all made China “unstoppable”.
It was in stark contrast to the ambling procession that marked President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday in June.
As is the array of glistening new designs, concepts and equipment.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force’s commander for the Pacific region insists he is “not deterred” by Beijing’s display of might.
“Nations like China, North Korea, Russia, and others do these kinds of events. There’s certainly a big focus on messaging,” Air Force General Kevin Schneider conceded.
“But I think the takeaway for this is we are not deterred.”
His own force is struggling to keep 73-year-old bombers and 40-year-old fighters in the air. And, after a decade of operation, his F-35 stealth fighters are still limited to “Initial Operational Capability” as many of their specified features remain undelivered.
Based on the extent of new drones, aircraft and missiles displayed for the first time at this year’s Beijing parade, his pilots have their work cut out.
A flight of aircraft carrier-capable fighters swooped over Xi. On the ground beneath him was paraded large new drone after large new drone - with roles ranging from surveillance to coordination to strike.
All are designed to fit roles in surrounding, securing, and blockading islands, such as Taiwan, the Senkaku Islands, and the Spratly Islands.
And that’s what General Schneider is supposed to prevent.
“By and large, it’s China that occupies the main focus of our attention,” he conceded. “We will continue to stay ahead of the challenges. We will continue to find ways to advance our capabilities and to deal with potential adversary systems as they are developed and fielded.”
Strutting its stuff
Global defence analysts have been eagerly anticipating the Beijing parade as it is a regular forum for the public debut of new weaponry.
The list of hardware to be unveiled was a tightly held secret. But open source intelligence enthusiasts have been busily scouring Chinese social media for any sign of new shapes being rolled through Beijing’s back streets.
All this speculation was confirmed or denied today. And the People’s Liberation Army insists all equipment on show was already “in active duty”.
Retired Australian Major General and Defence Academy Chief Mick Ryan says that, despite all the anticipation, the parade held no major surprises.
“Most of the weapons and platforms were not brand new, but generally, every land, air and sea platform was more modern than that in the inventories of Western military organisations,” he tweeted.
Among the new gear were Large Underwater Uncrewed Vessels (LUUVs), helicopter drones, Loyal Wingman drones, laser systems, the HHQ-16C anti-aircraft missile, the DF-61 “Carrier Killer” missile and the DF-31BJ ICBM system.
According to a new assessment by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China’s defence spending has soared 13-fold over the past 30 years to some $A460 billion.
But the actual figure is uncertain. Much of Beijing’s spending is masked behind civil-military “fusion” projects.
“The PLA’s modernisation is far from complete and faces significant obstacles, but Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made it a top priority and is relentlessly pushing for progress,” the assessment reads.
China’s navy is expected to grow to almost 450 warships by 2030. The US Navy will remain static, at best, fielding just under 300 operational vessels.
And while China’s air force is growing at a lesser rate, it is rapidly replacing older Soviet aircraft with modern-generation home-grown designs.
“Long gone are the days where China was reliant on Russia or other foreign systems,” Ryan adds. “This level of indigenous capacity infers high levels of sustainability in any future conflict.”
Mixed messages
Kim, Putin and Xi walked together along a red carpet on Tiananmen Square to observe the spectacle celebrating the 80th anniversary of victory in the war against Japan in World War II.
“The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable, and humanity’s cause of peace and development will prevail,” Xi proclaimed to the cheering crowd.
But he added the world was “faced with a choice of peace or war”.
And he attacked “bullying behaviour” on the world scene.
Present company excluded, of course.
His guest, President Putin, launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And Chairman Kim, regularly sabre-rattling his nuclear missiles towards South Korea, is supplying his own troops, equipment and ammunition to help Putin.
Chairman Xi has refused to criticise any of this behaviour.
Instead, he has reserved his ire for the United States and its allies for standing against his expansionist ambitions in the western Pacific and South Asia.
The 70-minute spectacle marked the end of a weekend of “New World Order” diplomacy among the 10 nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The loose economic and strategic affiliation touts itself as an anti-Western alliance seeking an alternative to existing global legal, strategic and financial systems.
But the Chinese Communist Party-controlled Global Times insisted the parade was for “bearing history in mind, honouring martyrs, cherishing peace, and striving for a better future”.
“The world today is not peaceful; the spectre of denying the history of aggression still lingers, and the farce of reviving militarism is frequently staged,” it added.
“Against this backdrop, demonstrating our determination and capability to defend peace serves as a warning to all forces attempting to turn back history and challenge the post-war order … The Chinese people will also never stand idly by in the face of any schemes that harm China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests!”
A game of egos
US President Donald Trump was testy today as he was shown how a military parade should be done.
He posted a snipe at Xi on his personally owned Truth Social account: “Give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, andKim Jong-unn, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
The United States Navy, however, is hoping to lift his mood. It’s reportedly planning a grand naval review for the President in October or November.
But Ryan says precision marching, flying, and sailing are not an “indicator of warfighting effectiveness”.
“Notwithstanding the impressive orchestration of the parade, and highly synchronised music and marching, these have almost zero impact on the measurement of military effectiveness,” he explains.
Instead, the event was a carefully staged piece of political theatre.
“And China has a dual audience in mind, aiming to boost public morale at home while projecting power and influence in its neighbourhood and beyond,” argues Chatham House strategic analyst Dr Yu Jie.
“China is seeking to send a very different but critical message: that its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is on track to become the world’s most advanced fighting force, equipped with cutting-edge home-grown technology after a decade of pursuing self-reliance.
“And the message is loud and clear – China can and will deter its adversaries while asserting its security claims in Asia..”
Ryan agrees: “This parade was clearly designed to influence the calculus of regional governments.”
But he adds he doesn’t believe it will have any significant impact.
“For those who have already decided to accommodate China, the parade might reinforce why they have decided to do so. For others who have decided to resist Chinese aggression, it may provide additional purpose for doing so.”
Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @jamieseidel.bsky.social
Originally published as ‘Unstoppable’: What China’s military parade really means
