Geostrategic Implications of the September 3 Military Parade: China Has Completed Its Transition from Strategic Defense to Strategic Stalemate
Geostrategic Implications of the July 3 Military Parade: China Has Completed Its Transition from Strategic Defense to Strategic Stalemate Conclusions on the Dual Military Transformation The most fundamental military significance of the 2025 September 3rd Military Parade can be summarized in two points: First, China has thoroughly completed its military transition from strategic defense to strategic stalemate, with the supporting equipment system now fully in place. This transition spanned approximately a decade: the 2014 test launch of the DF-17 marked the start of the transition; the 2019 military parade officially unveiled this weapon, demonstrating that the transition had entered an accelerated phase; and the 2025 military parade declared the transition fully mature. Second, the Chinese military has completed its transformation toward the “Five Modernizations” (systematization, modularization, informatization, intelligentization, and unmanned operations). Equipment iteration follows a four-step path: “explore one generation, pre-research one generation, develop one generation, and produce one generation.” The production phase adheres to a strategy of “small steps and rapid progress,” implementing small-batch, high-frequency equipment upgrades based on demand to avoid fiscal waste. ...