Deciphering China's military parade: What it means for India

Notwithstanding the thaw in India-China relations, it will be naive to overlook the fact that the contention at the LAC will persist and China will keep bolstering Pakistan's military preparedness against India.

- MAJ GEN B.K. SHARMA (RETD) NEW DELHI

Mao Zedong's quote, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" was reverberating on September 3, 2025, at Tiananmen Square. Hypersonic missiles rolled past jubilant crowds, drones whirred overhead, and thousands of goose-stepping soldiers marched with clockwork precision. Xi Jinping, dressed in a military tunic, proclaimed: "The Chinese nation is a great nation that is not afraid of violence." It was both optics and warning, aimed at domestic and international audiences. For India, the military juggernaut's display merits deep examination and immediate attention.

THE OPTICS AND MESSAGING China's military parades are not mere rituals of pride; they are occasions of strategic communication. Mao's 1949 proclamation that "the Chinese people have stood up" was once about revolution. Xi's 2025 vision focuses on rejuvenation as part of China's aspiration to achieve superpower status by 2049. Notably, the guest list included 27 heads of state/government: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Iran's President stood shoulder to shoulder with Xi, signaling a coalition of states, or in Uncle Sam's parlance, the Axis of Turbulence, contesting Western primacy. The absence of Western and some Asian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighted the divided geopolitical stage. Even across the Atlantic, the spectacle drew attention.

Donald Trump, with his ever-restless fingers on his cell phone, posted on Truth Social: "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America." His sarcasm only underscored how the parade played out in America's consciousness.