Beijing | Sept 04, 2025

China has once again demonstrated its nuclear muscle before the world. At a grand military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan in World War II, the country rolled out two of its newest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) — the Dongfeng-5C (DF-5C) and the DF-61. With Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un seated as chief guests, the message to Washington and its allies could not have been more direct: China’s nuclear arsenal is growing in power, range, and sophistication.

The DF-5C: China’s Most Powerful Missile Yet

The DF-5C stole the spotlight as the largest liquid-fueled ICBM ever showcased by China. Measuring more than three metres in diameter and powered by four engines, the missile is designed to carry an exceptionally heavy payload. Analysts say the missile can accommodate up to ten independent nuclear warheads, or alternatively a single massive warhead in the multimegaton range — far beyond the largest deployed by the US or Russia today.

During the parade, the missile was displayed in sections: its two primary stages mounted on separate vehicles, while an oversized warhead was paraded on its own truck. Experts such as Jeffrey Lewis from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies noted the sheer scale of the system, suggesting China is deliberately signalling that its new missile can deliver unprecedented destructive power.

Though liquid fuel technology generates greater thrust than solid fuel, it comes with logistical challenges — volatility, storage difficulty, and transport risks. Yet China appears willing to accept those drawbacks for the raw power advantage liquid propulsion provides.

DF-61: Road-Mobile Deterrence

Alongside the DF-5C, China presented the DF-61, another massive ICBM over 20 metres in length. Unlike the DF-5C, which has traditionally relied on silos or launch gantries, the DF-61 was carried on a 16-wheeled transporter-erector-launcher truck. This road-mobile capability gives commanders greater flexibility, making the missile harder for adversaries to target and destroy pre-emptively.

Experts believe the DF-61 may be an advanced successor to the DF-41 missile, which is already capable of striking anywhere in North America. China reportedly tested similar technology in 2021, a system the US and Soviet Union explored decades earlier but ultimately abandoned as destabilising.

Global Implications

China’s decision to publicly display these weapons comes against the backdrop of heightened strategic competition with the United States. Washington’s own estimates in 2024 projected that Beijing’s nuclear stockpile could reach 1,000 warheads by 2030. The debut of the DF-5C and DF-61 suggests China is not only meeting but possibly exceeding that trajectory.

According to Chinese missile expert Professor Yang Chengjun, the DF-5C boasts a strike range of more than 20,000 kilometres, theoretically giving it the ability to target any location on Earth. He emphasised its strengths in precision and defence penetration, describing it as a permanent guardian meant to deter wars through overwhelming force.

A Signal to the World

The timing and setting of the parade underline the political symbolism of the missile reveal. By showcasing these colossal weapons before allies and adversaries alike, President Xi Jinping appears to be reinforcing China’s position as a global nuclear power not to be underestimated. For the US and its partners, the message is clear: Beijing intends to modernise, expand, and harden its nuclear forces as part of its long-term strategic doctrine.

As the DF-5C rumbled through Tiananmen Square, it was not just a missile on display but a statement — that China’s deterrence strategy is entering a new era, one that will shape global security debates for years to come.