Overview

• The 3 September event in Tiananmen Square marks 80 years since Japan’s WWII surrender and will feature President Xi alongside visiting leaders including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.
• Rehearsal images show a tarpaulin-covered, eight-wheeled vehicle that PLA-linked accounts claim hides the “most powerful” laser air‑defense system, a description not independently verified.
• State briefings say all displayed equipment is domestically produced and in active service, with reported highlights including new YJ‑series anti‑ship missiles, extra‑large underwater drones such as AJX002, and the HQ‑29 interceptor.
• US Pacific Air Forces commander General Kevin Schneider said the United States is not deterred by the display and emphasized real capability over public messaging in deterrence.
• Western analysts plan to scrutinize technical indicators to assess whether showcased systems reflect operational reality or strategic signaling, given limited combat evidence for some new technologies.