China's Military Parade: A Display of Power and a Message to the West

Sat Sep 13 2025 06:58:19 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

China's recent military parade showcased its advanced weaponry and signaled its military ambitions to the United States and its allies, while inviting global leaders to consider Chinese arms.

During a massive military parade hosted by Xi Jinping, China unveiled new military hardware including advanced missiles, drones, and robotic systems. The event, attended by over 20 world leaders including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, revealed China's growing military capabilities and its strategic direction focusing on missile development and artificial intelligence integration in warfare. However, experts note that despite advances, the U.S. retains crucial operational advantages in military agility.

China has unveiled a range of new weapons, drones and other military hardware in a massive parade that many see as a clear message to the United States and its allies.

The event saw Xi Jinping host more than 20 foreign heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, both of whom rely on China for economic support and more.

It was a display of Xi's growing power on the world stage, and of China's military prowess - the show included the 'Guam killer' missile, the 'loyal wingman' drone and even robotic wolves.

Here are our five takeaways.

1. China has a lot of weapons. How well can it deploy them?

What was clear from Wednesday's display was that China has been able to quickly produce a diverse range of weapons.

Ten years ago, the military technology they put on show tended to be 'rudimentary copies' of far more advanced equipment invented by the US. However, this parade revealed a more innovative and diverse range of weapons, particularly drones and missiles - a reflection of how advanced their defense-industrial complex has become.

China's top-down structure and significant resources enable it to churn out new weapons faster than many other countries. It can produce them in huge quantities, allowing for a battlefield advantage. But how well can China's military integrate these systems?

2. China is focusing on missiles to counter the US

Among the unveiled capabilities were several new missile variants, including the Dongfeng-61, Dongfeng-5C, and the 'Guam Killer' Dongfeng-26D, which are designed to target US military assets directly, showcasing China's strategic shift to missile warfare.

3. China is going all the way with AI and drones

The parade highlighted various AI-powered drones including the AJX-002 giant submarine drone and the GJ-11 stealth attack drone, indicating a clear intent to modernize its military operations by integrating unmanned technologies.

4. China may have the technology, but the US still has an edge

Despite the impressive display, the US retains operational advantages in military training and agility, where decisions can be made at the unit level, unlike China's top-down command structure.

5. The parade was a weapons sales pitch – and a chance to show the US a united front

With the leaders of more than two dozen countries invited to the event, the parade served as a significant opportunity for China to present its military capabilities as a potential leverage over the US, while simultaneously inviting international military partnerships and sales.