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China displays nuclear triad and advanced weapons in Beijing parade

China showcased its nuclear triad and advanced military arsenal in massive Beijing parade, displaying hypersonic missiles, drones, and laser weapons to the West.

China displays nuclear triad and advanced weapons in Beijing parade
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With an impressive military parade in Beijing, organized to commemorate 80 years since the end of World War II, China confirmed its role as an emerging military superpower. Tens of thousands of soldiers, battle tanks and armored vehicles flooded Tiananmen Square, while fighter jets flew over the Chinese capital, sending a message of military strength to the West. Despite the commemorative nature of the day, President Xi Jinping chose to look toward the future. As military analyst Michael Clarke commented on Sky News: “They wanted to show the world that they combine the old with the new. They displayed traditional power, but also new weapons systems that had never appeared publicly before.”

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All military branches participated in the parade, along with the newest units created in recent years: the “cyberspace unit,” responsible for cyber warfare defense, and the “information support force,” established in 2024 to enhance combat readiness with networks and information systems.

See images from China’s impressive military arsenal

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The major reveal: China’s nuclear triad presentation

The major reveal was the presentation of China’s “nuclear triad” – air, land and sea-based nuclear weapons. Among the systems making their debut were the JL-1 long-range air-launched missile, the JL-3 submarine-launched missile, the land-based DF-61, as well as the new DF-31. According to Xinhua news agency, they constitute China’s “strategic ace” for defending its sovereignty.

Meanwhile, hypersonic anti-ship missiles were showcased, including the Yingji-19, Yingji-17 and Yingji-20, which have been tested on replicas of American aircraft carriers. “These missiles are designed to intimidate the United States,” Clarke emphasized.

Unmanned systems

China emphasized unmanned systems, showcasing drones and “robotic wolves” transported on vehicles. The parade also featured the AJX002 underwater drone, as well as new unmanned helicopters for use on warships.

Particularly striking was the presentation of a laser weapon system for countering drones. “They had kept it hidden during rehearsals and it suddenly appeared in the parade, like a large searchlight mounted on a vehicle,” Clarke said, noting that while not as revolutionary as portrayed, laser weapons demonstrate China’s strategy to develop cheaper and more effective defenses against unmanned threats.

Air power

Over Tiananmen skies flew China’s two fifth-generation fighters, the Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-35A, designed as responses to American F-35s. China is the only country besides the US and Russia that possesses such aircraft, along with Russia’s Su-57.

The message to the West

“China demonstrated that it possesses a complete range of land, sea and air weapons systems,” Clarke noted. “On paper, it’s extremely impressive. It’s not yet as powerful as the American military, but it certainly competes with it and worries American military planners.” At the same time, he emphasized that the key question is whether Beijing can coordinate all these assets in real operations, as it hasn’t engaged in major military conflict since the 1950s.

The Tiananmen parade, with its abundance of new systems and presentation of the nuclear triad, served not only as a tribute to the past but also as a message to the West: China aspires to become a protagonist in reshaping global power balances.

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