Breitbart Media reports from China indicate Tuesday’s military parade, a massive show of force and technological sophistication to mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic, will include the public debut of the Dongfeng-41, a nuclear-capable missile that could hit U.S. territory within 30 minutes of launch.
Fox News quoted Chinese government spokesmen and foreign analysts who expected the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to put on quite a show for National Day, taking the opportunity to demonstrate their massive advantage in manpower is now matched with near-peer real-world military hardware and world-class cyberwar capabilities. According to Fox News:
Tuesday’s parade will include 15,000 troops, more than 160 aircraft and 580 pieces of military equipment, according to Ministry of Defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Cai Zhijun.
Many new weapons “will be shown for the first time,” Cai told reporters last week. Asked whether that would include the Dongfeng 41, Cai said, “Please wait and see.”
The ability to project power has been seen as increasingly urgent for Chinese leaders aiming to control shipping lanes and waters also claimed by Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and other governments.