Beijing (Parliament Politics Magazine) – China’s military parade will unveil the YJ-17 hypersonic missile and advanced weapons, warning the US amid rising regional tensions.
As reported by The Telegraph, Beijing plans to reveal a ship-killing hypersonic missile at a military parade on 3 September, highlighting rising tensions with the West.
China’s plan to showcase its ship-killing hypersonic missile
Satellite images reveal a massive lineup of weapons outside Beijing ahead of Wednesday’s military event.
During parade practice, the military showed new missiles, including the upcoming YJ-17 hypersonic launch.
Experts say the missile could fly up to Mach 8, around 6,100 mph, though details are unclear. It can hit targets 750 miles away while keeping launch sites safe.
The 80th World War II anniversary parade in China, a major national event, will feature a speech by President Xi Jinping. Soldiers from dozens of brigades and veteran units will parade in formation across Tiananmen Square.
The military event comes days after the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit with global leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi, and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
China will host Putin and Kim at the parade as guests of honour, aiming to strengthen ties with Russia and North Korea amid US tensions.
What did Wu Zeke say about China’s new weapons on parade?
A Chinese official said the parade will display new weapons that have never been seen before.
Wu Zeke, an official assisting in organising the military event, said at a briefing in Beijing,
“The weapons and equipment on display this time were all selected from major battle equipment that is domestically produced and is currently in service, with a large proportion being new types of equipment making their debut.”
Tianran Xu’s views on China’s YJ-17 missile and parade arsenal
Military experts estimate the YJ-17 can carry warheads between 600 and 1,100 pounds, giving it significant armour-piercing strength.
The missile seems designed to penetrate heavily defended warships, signalling to the West to avoid involvement in regional conflicts, especially around Taiwan.
Tianran Xu, analyst at Open Nuclear Network, said the weapons were developed to boost the
“chances of defeating shipborne air-defence systems, and are clearly developed with the aim to suppress the US Navy in the Western Pacific.”
He added,
“Few countries have developed so many anti-ship missiles that cover all imaginable categories.”
The parade is expected to display the YJ-15, YJ-19, and YJ-20 missiles, as well as advanced tanks, jets, and drones.
Hong Lei’s stance on hosting Kim Jong Un and Putin
Hong Lei, China’s assistant foreign minister, said the country will warmly receive Kim Jong Un and continue consolidating bilateral relations.
Referring to hosting Mr Putin, he said the Russian president’s appearance at the military event,
“further demonstrates the high level of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and declares the unity and solidarity between China and Russia.”
Mr Lei added,
“Facing an international landscape fraught with both change and turmoil, China and Russia, as founding members of the UN and permanent members of the Security Council, will continue to uphold the authority of the United Nations and international fairness and justice.”
Who will attend Beijing’s victory day military parade?
- Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of Belarus
- Masoud Pezashkian, President of Iran
- Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia
- Woo Won-shik, Speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly
- Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia
- UN Secretary General Li Junhua
Vladimir Putin’s views on strengthening the SCO and global order
The Russian leader said the summit would
“strengthen the SCO’s capacity to respond to contemporary challenges and threats, and consolidate solidarity across the shared Eurasian space.”
Mr Putin added,
“All this will help shape a fairer multipolar world order.”
China’s hypersonic missile expansion
Beijing has become a leading producer of hypersonic missiles, designed to bypass traditional air-defence systems like the US Patriot.
The US, China, and Russia are racing to develop powerful hypersonic arms, with Russia already using them in Ukraine last year.
China, under Xi Jinping, has invested heavily in upgrading its military and ranks as the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, supplying countries such as Pakistan.
Key facts about the YJ-17 missile
The YJ-17 is a hypersonic missile reaching Mach 5–8, highly manoeuvrable, and evades defences.
It is ship-launched with a range of ~746 miles. It carries a 661–1,102 lb warhead guided to pierce armoured ships. It uses inertial, BeiDou, and radar guidance for high accuracy.