China Celebrates National Day With Massive Military Parade

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On October 1^st, China celebrated it’s 70^th Anniversary with a military parade which showcased a large number of troops and equipment.

The parade showcased China’s technology and a promise from President Xi Jinping that “no force can shake the status of this great nation.”

The military parade of 15,000 troops and weapons including new hypersonic drones and intercontinental ballistic missiles went through Tiananmen square.

“There is no force that can shake the status of this great nation. No force can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation forging ahead,” he said.

During the parade, the People’s Liberation Army showed its new unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as advanced intercontinental and hypersonic missiles.

Significantly, the “carrier killer” Dongfeng-21D was shown, after it was initially unveiled in 2015. It is designed to hit targets at a range of up to 1,500 km.

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Another missile was the DF-26, an intermediate range one, dubbed “Guam Killer.”

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China’s first hypersonic missile was put on display, the DF-17 can reportedly travel at many times the speed of sound. This is the first time the system has been presented publicly. The DF-17’s hypersonic glide vehicle technology also permits it to fly at a much lower altitude just before delivering its warhead, making it much harder to detect and intercept.

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Finally, on display was the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile, with a reach of between 12,000 and 15,000 kilometres, reportedly the longest in the world. The DF-41 and can carry 10 nuclear warheads.

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Other weapons featured were the JL-2 missile, which can be launched from a nuclear submarine “providing sea-based nuclear deterrence”, as well as a new generation of anti-ship missiles called YJ-18.

YJ-18. Click to see full-size image.

JL-2. Click to see full-size image

A new and advanced radar system that could “detect jets and missiles” was also introduced, as well as new HQ-9B surface-to-air missiles “capable of intercepting multiple air strike weapons in a complex electro-magnetic environment”.

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In all, 160 aircraft and 580 pieces of military equipment were presented. State media said 40% of the arms shown in the parade were appearing in public for the first time.

INCREASED VIOLENCE IN HONG KONG

Meanwhile, protests in Hong Kong continued, with reports of the first case of a protester being shot by a lethal bullet.

The crowd at Admiralty falls silent as protesters and media are simultaneously receiving the news over their phones that a protester has been shot with a live round in Tsuen Wan. pic.twitter.com/0UPfXiTBOu

— Antony Dapiran (@antd) October 1, 2019

Crowds have fallen silent at Admiralty, after reports that a protester was shot with a live round. The initial report came from the South China Morning Post, citing an anonymous source, so this is yet unconfirmed.

The police fired several warning shots, amid heavy clashes with protesters. Protesters continued throwing stones, petrol bombs and setting fires.

A video circulating online shows warning shots fired as protesters and police clash at the junction of Waterloo and Nathan Roads pic.twitter.com/8WZPtAFhwC

— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) October 1, 2019

Police said “rioters” had used corrosive fluid in Tuen Mun in the west of the New Territories, “injuring multiple police officers and reporters.”

#HongKongProtesters throwing multiple petrol bombs on Hennessy road. #WanChai #NationalDay pic.twitter.com/laqa90Uhe8

— Katy Wong (@katywmw) October 1, 2019

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