Beijing just turned a military parade into a full-blown showcase of power.
Marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, China rolled out an arsenal of never-before-seen weapons.
These ranged from hypersonic missiles to space defence systems—right in front of Tiananmen Gate.
The star of the show? The YJ-15, a hypersonic anti-ship missile designed to rip through massive vessels.
But that wasn’t all. China also paraded its new stealth underwater drone, the AJX002—an 18-metre-long sea ghost meant to operate undetected.
What’s The Message?
And in case anyone missed the message, Beijing unveiled nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the DF-5C.
Chinese media claim it can hit targets over 20,000 kilometres away. That’s global reach—and then some.
For the first time, China also showed off the HQ-29, a space defence missile built to knock satellites out of the sky.
It signaled ambitions beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
President Xi Jinping framed the day as a moment of reflection, warning the world faces a choice “between peace and war.”
Watching beside him? Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un—an image as symbolic as the hardware on display.
Donald Trump, never one to stay quiet, fired back online, reminding Xi of America’s WWII sacrifices and sarcastically wishing “warmest regards” to Xi’s guests.
Parade or provocation? Depends who you ask—but one thing’s clear: Beijing wanted the world watching.
