During the military parade through Tiananmen Square on September 3, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) introduced cutting-edge military hardware, including the Type 100 Main Battle Tank (MBTs), YJ-19 and YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missiles, two types of Type 191 long-range rocket artillery systems, and an autonomous four-legged “combat dog” robot. The military parade thus served as a showcase of China’s next generation of highly sophisticated and technologically powerful military weapons.
But beyond the display of military prowess through new hardware, this parade held both strong symbolism and a clear strategic focus. The great power competition between the United States and China served as the central thread running throughout the ceremony.
President Xi Jinping’s speech was brief but geopolitically charged. Xi’s speech during the 2015 military parade was 1,678 characters long and mentioned “peace” 18 times. By contrast, his address at the 2025 parade was just 945 characters, and the word for “peace” was used only six times. The shift in tone is unmistakable: this parade was not about avoiding conflict, but about preparing for it – strategically, diplomatically, and technologically.
More than just a tribute to past martyrs, Xi’s message was a defiant reminder to the world that China is prepared to lead on its own terms. He declared, “The Chinese nation is a great nation that does not fear power and intimidation and is determined to stand self-reliant and strong,” a comment bolstered by the hard power on display in Tiananmen Square. Xi posed a critical dilemma for other nations by asking the world to choose “between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum” – implicitly, between the U.S. approach to foreign policy and China’s. Xi further declared that “the Chinese people are firmly on the right side of history and the side of human civilization and progress,” again implying that the American people are not.
Another silent message came from the presence of leaders who are staunchly anti-American: Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian. U.S. leaders often group Russia, Iran, and North Korea together as an “Axis of Evil.” By giving these leaders not only an invitation but front-row space – Putin and Kim were seated to either side of Xi during the parade – China used the event to convey the deepening alignment among anti-American powers to challenge the Trump administration’s unilateral approach.
More than 20 world leaders were in attendance, including presidents and prime ministers from Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia as well as Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe. Their attendance was a carefully curated display of China’s expanding influence in the Global South and among emerging powers.
Unlike the Cold War, which saw security polarization between two rival blocs, underpinned by alliances like NATO and the Warsaw Pact, China’s approach today emphasizes forging flexible, transactional partnerships. This carefully constructed network lacks formal alliances and partnerships but still carries enormous political symbolism. It points to a reorganization of global power that is less about treaties and more about influence, connectivity, and ideological proximity. The optics of having over two dozen foreign leaders admire China’s military technology were unmistakable.
In terms of that technology, the parade displayed a wide range of weapons, both old and new, conventional and next-generation, and crewed and uncrewed. A total of 45 formations rolled down Chang’an Avenue, including three newly formed units of the PLA created in 2024. These new units – the Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, and Information Support Force – demonstrated the PLA’s decisive turn toward future battlefields. The parade was not merely a rehearsal of conventional might, but a vision of how China sees war and power evolving in the 21st century.
The military hardware unveiled included the DF-61 is a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed to evade current missile defense systems. According to state news agency Xinhua, the DF-5C ICBM, a modernized version of a weapon first flown in the 1970s, also made a rare appearance, demonstrating China’s ability to preserve and update older systems while investing in next-gen deterrence. The JL-3, a submarine-launched ballistic missile with intercontinental range, was also shown, indicating that China’s second-strike capabilities are becoming more advanced and reliable.
Hypersonic capabilities were prominently displayed. The DF-17, which carries a hypersonic glide vehicle, and the DF-26D, nicknamed the “Guam Express” for its ability to strike U.S. assets in the Pacific, rolled past with dramatic flair. Although these weapons have been seen before, their reappearance during this parade reinforced their strategic importance. The YJ-17 hypersonic missile also made its first appearance, proving that China remains a leader in this cutting-edge military technology.
Uncrewed military weapons or drones were also featured heavily, especially the GJ-11, which was introduced during the 2019 military parade. According to media reports, the GJ-11 is capable of precision strikes and high-altitude reconnaissance, highlighting the PLA’s growing reliance on unmanned systems.
What drew particular interest was the presence of trucks carrying air defense systems labeled HQ-29. While little is publicly known, analysts believe the HQ-29 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles in midcourse, similar to the U.S. SM-3 Block IIA system, but with the significant distinction that the Chinese system is road-mobile, offering greater strategic flexibility.
One of the most futuristic displays came from directed-energy weapons labeled the LY-1. China has learned from the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Iran conflict about the importance of protecting its assets from drone swarms. China has presented an integration of laser systems into its mobile forces, suggesting a massive lead in this area.
Despite the overwhelming firepower showoff, the geopolitical message was not about the weapon systems themselves, but about China’s shaping of its future through integrating software (partnerships with like-minded partners) and hardware (military technological know-how) in the great power competition.
The military parade was a calculated geopolitical signal, signaling a new phase in global politics and great power competition. Alliances and partnerships are increasingly signaled through presence, participation, and shared values, rather than mutual defense pacts or formal treaties. The display of China’s strength was evident not only in missiles and drones, but also in the alignment of global actors seeking an alternative to the U.S.-led world order.
As the PLA formations marched and weapons rolled past, the world’s geopolitical center of gravity shifted across Tiananmen Square. China’s parade was both a nostalgic salute to the past and a roadmap for the future.