By Ethan Evans

Copyright dailyrecord

China has finally broke its silence over their V-Day military parade that saw Beijing strike angst worldwide after showcasing a range of ballistic missiles, laser weapons, and nuclear-capable systems. The event, which took place last week, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the official end of World War II in the Pacific. Presided over by leader Xi Jinping , and attended by dignitaries from over 20 countries around the world — including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un — the People’s Liberation Army showed the progress it has made towards its goal of building a ‘world-class’ military by the mid-century. Several concerns have been raised in the aftermath of the parade, most notably the Pentagon who are particularly worried about China’s expanding missile capabilities. and nuclear stockpile. Alexander Neil, a Singapore-based analyst, said: “For all the operational questions that surround some of these new elements, China was sending a message of technological advance and military strength on all fronts—there is indeed a lot for rival defense planners to get their heads around.” China is one of only four countries, along with the US, Russia and India, to boast a full nuclear triad, ranking third globally in total warheads. But analysts note that many of the systems showed off at the parade, such as three silo-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (the DF-5C, DF-31BJ, and DF-61), new drone types and more, remain untested in combat with China’s last full-fledged conflict dating as far back as 1979 against Vietnam. “(The military technology) demonstrated the comprehensive combat capabilities of the PLA in realistic training and exercises,” said Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson, Wu Qian, in response. !Their appearance shows that our capabilities for defense are improving, but our strategic intention has not changed. “We will never seek hegemony, never engage in expansion, never initiate aggression.” He also emphasised the parade was “not targeted at any specific country” and that a strong Chinese military helps motivate peaceful development. China’s arsenal of nuclear warheads has been expanding greatly in recent years, with estimates they reached 600 earlier this year which is more than double its 2019 count. Despite fears of World War 3, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson previously told Newsweek : “China abides by the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances and at any time, and commits unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.”