DEFENSE / China parade weapons aim to counter Taiwan asymmetric warfare: Scholar

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) A Taiwan defense scholar has recently said that many of the latest weapon systems debuted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during the 2025 "China Victory Day Parade" last month were meant to counter Taiwan's asymmetric warfare.

In the latest issue of Defense and Security Biweekly, published on Sept. 25 by the Taiwan military-funded think tank, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), Sheu Jyh-shyang (許智翔) noted that Taiwan had spent decades investing in asymmetric warfare, the use of smaller, cheaper, but highly effective, weapon systems to make an invasion by a larger force prohibitively costly.

However, some of the PLA weapons that debuted Sept. 3 parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II are expected to put great pressure on Taiwan's existing anti-missile systems, said Sheu, an assistant research fellow at the INDSR.

Among these weapons are the Dongfeng-61 (東風-61), an intercontinental ballistic missile, a series of YJ anti-ship missiles, and the JL-3 (巨浪-3) intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Sheu wrote.

All these latest-generation missiles are difficult to detect and cannot be fully intercepted even after detection, Sheu said.

These missiles can also be launched from surface vessels, submarines, and aircraft, posing threats from all fronts, he added.

On the ground, the PLA also debuted its ZTZ-100 tank, which features an automated Protection System with sensors and weapons to intercept missiles and drones, Sheu said.

Other protection features of the PLA's new tanks include an unmanned turret to enhance crew safety, he noted.

Meanwhile, the parade also displayed PLA's first nuclear missile formation with the latest addition of JL-1 (驚雷一型) air-launched ballistic missile.

The parade was the first public acknowledgement that China has achieved a nuclear triad of air-launched, submarine-launched, and land-based missiles.

According to Sheu, China's display of a complete nuclear triad was meant to further coerce countries worldwide with its growing military might.

It could serve as a deterrent aimed at preventing Western countries from intervening, in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the scholar warned.