Overview

• Beijing’s Sept. 3 spectacle unveiled strategic systems including new road‑mobile and silo‑based ICBMs, the JL‑3 submarine‑launched missile, the JingLei‑1 air‑launched nuclear‑capable missile, DF‑17 hypersonic capability, and advanced drones such as the GJ‑11 and FH‑97.
• Xi Jinping framed the event as a mandate to “accelerate the building of a world‑class military,” tying military strength to national rejuvenation and the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• The parade drew over 25 foreign leaders, prominently Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong‑un, following SCO summitry in Beijing; no U.S. officials attended, and President Donald Trump publicly urged recognition of America’s wartime role.
• Chinese commentators portrayed the show of force as deterrence messaging to Japan, Taiwan and the United States, with calls for Tokyo to be constrained on Taiwan and for a new equilibrium based on China’s strengthened deterrent.
• The commemoration reignited disputes over wartime history, with Taiwan emphasizing the Republic of China’s role in Japan’s 1945 surrender and opting for low‑key observances as most current officials declined Beijing’s invitations.