China marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a sweeping military parade in Beijing that doubled as a display of newly unveiled weaponry and a pointed warning to the United States.
President Xi Jinping rode down Chang'an Avenue in a black limousine Wednesday, saluting formations of troops as fighter jets and helicopters filled the skies. Twenty-six helicopters traced the number "80" above Tiananmen Square, underscoring the anniversary of Japan's surrender in 1945.
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Behind the pageantry, the parade showcased what analysts say are some of China's most significant military advancements in years.
For the first time, Beijing presented its land-, sea- and air-based strategic forces together — a nuclear "triad" that signals global reach and a more secure deterrent. The move suggests China is aiming for parity with the U.S. and Russia in its ability to launch a retaliatory strike from multiple platforms.
The parade also emphasized anti-ship and hypersonic weapons designed to threaten U.S. naval forces in the western Pacific. Faster and more maneuverable than traditional missiles, these systems could complicate American operations near Taiwan by raising the risks for aircraft carriers and other large vessels.
Unmanned systems featured prominently as well. Long-range drones, underwater vehicles and even robotic quadrupeds rolled through the square, paired with new laser and microwave weapons intended to counter swarms of enemy drones at low cost. The emphasis on scale and cost efficiency pointed to Beijing's ambition to fight with volume rather than a handful of high-priced platforms.
China also introduced new military formations for aerospace, cyberspace and information operations — a signal that future wars will extend beyond land, sea and air to include space and data networks.
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The event drew Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the reviewing stand, underscoring Beijing's alignment with Moscow and Pyongyang. Leaders from the U.S., Europe, Japan and India were absent.
While parades do not prove battlefield performance, the message was clear: China is closing technological gaps with the United States.
"The bottom line is that China didn't just roll hardware," said one defense analyst. "It rolled out a playbook — nuclear deterrence, hypersonics to deny access at sea, and unmanned systems to change the economics of war."
The parade lasted about 90 minutes. Its strategic implications will endure far longer.
