Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s attendance at this month’s military parade in Beijing highlighted long-standing ties with China, forged during the African nation’s liberation struggle. More than two dozen world leaders joined the Victory Day event in Tiananmen Square on September 3, when China put its military might on display. Mnangagwa was one of just two…
China’s Victory Day military parade presents a fascinating paradox. With over 12,000 troops reportedly marching through Tiananmen Square, this spectacle celebrates a defensive military doctrine while showcasing power-projection capabilities that would make any expeditionary force envious. It reveals how Beijing is pioneering a new grammar of military power that particularly resonates with the Global South….
Eighty years on, the Global South’s pursuit of a just world order remains overshadowed by the unresolved legacies of the second world war. At China’s Victory Day parade last week, President Xi Jinping warned that the world stands at a crossroads – between peace and war. He urged nations to learn from history to prevent…
The futuristic drones, intercontinental missiles and laser and microwave systems that rolled through central Beijing on Wednesday reflect not only the intensity of China’s military modernisation drive but also advances in the research and manufacturing ecosystem that has sprung up to develop it. At least five nuclear-capable missile types made their debut during the military…
In addition to the spectacle of Wednesday’s military parade in Tiananmen Square, with its rows of never-before-seen weapons and equipment, was a less visible but highly consequential shift. At its heart lies China’s growing dominance in gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology, giving it a strategic advantage that is reshaping the global arms race, according to…
Mathematics plays a big role in developing advanced weapons, top mathematician Shing-Tung Yau said in an interview with a Chengdu-based media outlet after watching China’s military parade in Tiananmen Square on Wednesday. “The development of cutting-edge weapons relies heavily on foundational disciplines such as mathematics and physics. Without original innovations and deep accumulation in basic…
China’s military parade on Wednesday – featuring the latest AI-powered uncrewed vehicles, laser weapons and missiles – signalled an arms race fuelled by scientific and technological advances. Artificial intelligence, optics and physics and information technologies have underscored how innovations will shape the future of modern warfare, paving the way for futuristic intelligent systems. “The parade…
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, marking the end of the Sino-Japanese war and the global fight against fascism, we look at the profound changes of the post-war period and how they continue to affect China’s place in the world. Part four of this series examines how the history of Sino-American cooperation has…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned “attempts to distort” World War II history while pledging to deepen strategic collaboration with China on the eve of a state visit to the country. During his four-day trip, described by the Kremlin as “absolutely unprecedented”, Putin is expected to join regional leaders for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)…
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s coming visit to China – his first in over six years – for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II could reinvigorate Beijing-Pyongyang ties and signal a broader strategic realignment, according to observers. For the first time, Kim will appear alongside Chinese President…