China’s parade signals power shift, cold war parallels, says Cornell expert

History

9/5/2025

China’s military parade in Beijing featured a range of advanced weapons systems, and marked the first time Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un have appeared together in public.

David Silbey, a Cornell University professor specializing in military history, defense policy, and battlefield analysis, says that the massive display of new military power by the Chinese served several purposes.

Silbey says: “Parades like these are traditionally where nations—especially authoritarian nations—display their military might in as overwhelming a way as they can. There’s no need to demonstrate that the weapons actually work (and often they don’t, and are just for show), so they can be as polished as possible. During the Cold War, the Soviets would have tank brigades drive past the viewing stands, circle the block, and go back through again—just to make it seem like an endless number of tanks.

“The Chinese are showing off for the cameras. The implicit contrast is with the lackadaisical military parade the U.S. managed a few months back.

“The presence of Putin demonstrates the close alliance between Russia and China. Along with the visit of Indian leader Narendra Modi, this is a very public showing to the world of a new axis forming against American power.”