Just this past weekend, China rolled out its latest military advancements in a spectacular show of force. This event showcased the nation’s quickly expanding defense production capacity. This event highlighted the seriousness of China’s military modernization and its great power aspirations in the Asia-Pacific region, especially towards Taiwan.
The last time China used military force was in 1979 during a short war against Vietnam. Since then, the country has spent massive investments to modernize its military. Its defense budget has exploded, growing 13-fold in dollar terms since the mid-1990s. Now, China’s military goals are impossible to overlook. They trumpet their potential regional hegemony with a pretty spectacular menu of advanced weaponry, calculated to extend their influence and harass traditional powers.
Among the parade’s most show-stopping advances was China’s first-ever air-launched nuclear weapon, the JL-1. This advance is an important step in China’s growing nuclear prowess. China paraded land-based DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and JL-3 submarine-launched ICBMs, together making for a powerful nuclear triad. This triad is intended to bolster China’s deterrent capacities. It doesn’t mean by 2035 China will have as many nuclear warheads as the US and Russia combined—the two nations’ nuclear arsenals exceed 5,000 warheads each, for instance.
China’s military modernization extends well beyond the nuclear realm. Also featured in the parade were two extra-large, multi-purpose, fully-autonomous, underwater drones, each measuring 18 to 20 meters long and able to carry out multiple missions. China displayed some pretty badass ship-based laser weapons. They supplemented this with the unveiling of two laser-based air defense systems, designed for maritime and land warfighting respectively. These changes are a clear indication that advanced technology is becoming a primary consideration in China’s military plans.
Beijing’s large-scale military exercises around Taiwan have led to widespread alarm over China’s plans for the restive yet self-governing island. Taiwan authorities have broadly interpreted the drills as a direct threat to Taiwan’s independence. This has provoked alarm among the defense analyst community over the prospect of increased regional tensions.
Hans Kristensen, a nuclear policy expert, remarked on the implications of these developments, stating, “How many ways do they have to be able to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile to deter?” His statement serves to underscore the importance of China’s growing missile arsenal, both as a tool of deterrence for future threats and punishment for past ones.
The parade highlighted China’s desire to beat back longstanding U.S. hegemony in the Pacific. The country is in the process of developing its defense industry. It seeks to prove its mettle as a rising power in world affairs. The Xinhua news agency described China’s military modernization as “the strategic ‘ace’ power to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and nation’s dignity,” emphasizing its commitment to national security.