China unveils parade highlights with many new weapons

The equipment to be showcased during a military parade on September 3 has all been selected from China's active-duty, domestically-made hardware, with many systems making their first public appearance, according to a press conference on the parade preparations on Wednesday.

The event will be held in Beijing on September 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Wu Zeke, a senior officer of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, said that the parade features solely Chinese-made active-duty main battle equipment, marking the first large-scale public display of the People's Liberation Army's new generation of weaponry since the 2019 National Day parade. The equipment selection highlights several key qualities:

First, the formation is built around advanced fourth-generation systems, including new-generation tanks, carrier-based aircraft, and fighter jets, organized according to combat modules to demonstrate our military's integrated joint operations capacity.

Second, the parade includes selected land, naval, and aerial unmanned intelligent systems and counter-unmanned equipment, alongside new strategic forces such as cyber-electronic warfare units. These encompass advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, directed-energy weapons, and electronic warfare systems, demonstrating the military's improved capabilities in emerging domains.

Third, the event features multiple cutting-edge systems across hypersonic weapons, air and missile defense systems, and strategic missile assets, highlighting the military's strong strategic deterrence capabilities.

Notably, the weapon systems on display demonstrate significantly enhanced informatization and intelligentization, fully reflecting the military's capability to adapt to technological progress and changing warfare paradigms to secure victory in future conflicts.

"As for the specific models of equipment that will appear, we invite everyone to stay tuned for forthcoming announcements," Wu said at the press conference.