Key Points and Summary – China’s massive military parade in September 2025 showcased its rapidly advancing air force, featuring multiple stealth fighters like the J-35.
-However, the anticipated H-20 stealth bomber was a notable no-show.
-According to experts, the parade’s true significance was not the hardware but the carefully calibrated message it sent to three distinct audiences.
-Domestically, it projected strength and control. Regionally, it asserted dominance.
The Warning – To the United States and the West, it was a clear signal that China believes it now possesses the military power to challenge the U.S.-led world order and offer an alternative.
China’s Stealth Fighters Are Sending a ‘Warning’
Military brass in China appeared happy enough with what they saw at the end-of-summer military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The massive military procession featured a dizzying array of military kit (helpfully broken down and visualized by Reuters), including manned aircraft flying in formation, as well as unmanned aircraft mounted on truck displays.
J-35 Fighter X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screen Capture.
J-35 Stealth Fighter from China. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
One online commentator went so far as to say that the military parade marked the first time that five different stealth fighters had been seen flying together. That claim is difficult to prove or disprove. However, the presence of so many such aircraft was certainly impressive.
A mix of fourth-generation, fifth-generation, and sixth-generation aircraft (those last are not yet in service) flew through the skies over Beijing. The display showed Chinese military aircraft at a turning point: a mixed fourth- and fifth-generation fleet is now shifting to feature a mix of fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft, likely putting China at the technological forefront of combat aviation.
Two versions of China’s J-35 fighter appeared: the base J-35 model, which will fly with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), and the J-35A, a fighter described by Chinese sources as mid-sized and capable of operations from China’s burgeoning fleet of aircraft carriers.
One of the notable absences from the lineup was the PLAAF’s Xian H-20, China’s future stealth bomber. China publicly acknowledged the existence of the bomber in 2021 by way of a promotional video that featured computer-generated imagery of the aircraft.
But despite the H-20 being in some stage of development for at least several years, the Chinese have avoided publicly revealing the aircraft, which remains highly secretive. Although the military parade would have been an ideal, high-profile arena for a public unveiling of the aircraft, the bomber remains under wraps – perhaps it is not ready.
The J-36, a medium-sized, medium-range bomber or fighter, as well as the J-XX, likely an experimental fighter, were also absent from the festivities. These are not operational aircraft, which likely precluded them from participation, since the parade typically includes only operational platforms.
But for all the pomp and circumstance, the parade’s most important messaging was not carried by individual pieces of military kit. A cursory consideration of what those platforms are built to accomplish — and who they are aimed at— offers insight into China’s near-term ambitions.
The Meaning Behind the ‘Stealth’ Bluster
Impressive though China’s military parade was in person, the military formations had more meaning to audiences abroad – in Asia, and elsewhere around the globe. Speaking to Air & Space Forces Magazine, J. Michael Dahm, a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute and an expert on the Chinese military, explained that the weaponry Beijing put on display was part of a carefully calibrated and choreographed message to the United States, and to the West more broadly.
“The equipment selected, the technologies showcased, the precision with which the parade was executed—all have been carefully choreographed to shape perceptions and message target audiences around the world,” Dahm told the magazine.
He added that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “has been rehearsing and preparing for this parade for months,” part of an effort to ensure “nothing was left to chance.”
The intended recipients of the messaging he placed into three broad categories: China’s domestic audience; neighbors in the region; and, most broadly, an international audience. Domestically, the military parade demonstrated that China’s ruling Communist Party “is strong and in control of the military,” while also “delivering on its promise to build a strong, developed nation, to resume China’s ‘rightful place in the world order,’” Dahm said.
Regional neighbors received a different message, one that made clear China is the hegemon in its near-abroad. Internationally, however, Dahm explained, “the message is clearly that the PLA is developing the technology and capacity to challenge the U.S. and its allies.”
He added that China’s actions and clear display of military power “sends the message that China is positioning itself—with commensurate military power—to lead an alternative to the U.S.-led world order.”
What Happens Next?
No new information could be gleaned from the images of China’s manned or unmanned aircraft. Still, the transition to an all-stealth force, at least on the fighter side of the aviation equation, seems to be moving full-steam ahead. Multiple kinds of Chinese aircraft flew during the parade – some new, some old, some stealthy, and some based on legacy Soviet aircraft.
But the more significant aspect of the parade was the message it sent about how China sees its near abroad — and the tools it has to realize its vision there.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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