By Jia Feimao | 2025-08-27

In recent weeks, Beijing has shut down roads for midnight rehearsals, banned drones and deployed tight security across its urban core as the city prepares for what has been billed as one of the largest military parades in years.

The September 3 event, marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, is expected to showcase newly developed Chinese weaponry and reflect the scale of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s modernization drive.

President Xi Jinping plans to inspect tens of thousands of troops assembled at Tiananmen Square, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the foreign dignitaries expected to attend, according to Reuters.

The parade, highly choreographed and politically symbolic, is intended to project China's military strength and international partnerships.

Most Western leaders are expected to stay away, turning the event into a showcase of solidarity among China, Russia and parts of the Global South against a backdrop of worsening relations with the West and growing uncertainty in Asia's security environment.

New armor, planes and missiles

At an August 20 news conference, Chinese Maj. Gen. Wu Zeke said a large proportion of the weapons making their debut are new models.

Wu highlighted that the parade will showcase fourth-generation tanks, carrier-based aircraft and fighter jets, as well as new capabilities such as unmanned combat systems for land, sea and air; directed-energy weapons and electronic jamming systems.

Strategic assets including hypersonic, air defense and long-range missiles will also be revealed to emphasize deterrence.

Images of some new weapons have already circulated online. A next-generation medium-weight tank equipped with 360-degree radar, antimissile and antidrone systems was spotted on the streets of Beijing during parade rehearsals.

Editors of the World Special Forces and Military Weapons Database, a Chinese-language military fan page on Facebook, said the vehicle has a four-sided array radar, a laser early-warning system, an active defense system and automatic machine guns, giving it the ability to counter both anti-armor missiles and drones.

Lin Ying-yu, an associate professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told Focus that such designs were inspired by the Russia-Ukraine war, where Russian T-90s and US M1A1 tanks were devastated by drones.

Tanks now face threats not only from enemy armor but also from suicide drones and portable anti-armor weapons, a trend likely to shape future development, he said.

Lin pointed out that Taiwan plans to purchase 50,000 drones, though it remains uncertain if they can offset China's new tanks. Observers are watching to see if the PLA will adapt antidrone systems for light tanks.

Lin also said that so-called "loyal wingman" drones designed to fly alongside and work with manned fighter jets will be worth watching.

Based on satellite imagery, US military site The War Zone suggested at least five types of loyal wingman drones similar to the US Valkyrie design may be displayed.

"The transformation of the PLA's equipment and organizational system over the past ten years can be described as tremendous changes," open-source intelligence researcher Joseph Wen told Focus.

He predicted the DF-27 hypersonic missile, with a range of up to 8,000km and capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, may be shown. Such a missile could threaten US bases in Guam.

The United States disclosed the DF-27's existence as early as 2021 and confirmed its successful test in 2023.

Possible vanity projects

Still, some military analysts question Wu's claim that the weapons making their debut are "operational equipment."

Analysts from the World Special Forces and Military Weapons Database suggested some items may be "a vanity project," citing the ZTZ-99 tank, which appeared in the 1999 parade but did not enter mass production until 2007.

While display may not prove full deployment, it does highlight the PLA's research and development trajectory.

"It is performative but it doesn't speak to capability, and we still don't know how effectively China could tie it all together and operate in a conflict scenario," said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, in remarks to Reuters.