China's National Day parade to show off military might

China’s massive parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern state will see 56 military formations including anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, unmanned surveillance aircraft and fighter jets in what will be the country’s biggest show of military prowess in a decade, the Financial Times reported. The October 1 parade will "highlight the People’s Liberation Army’s shift from quantity to quality, from manpower to technology," said General Gao Jianguo, deputy director of the National Day Military Parade Joint Command. Tai Ming Cheung, a defense expert at the University of California in San Diego, said the military parade can "be epitomized by the notion of ‘Rich Nation, Strong Army’ that is an aspiration of Chinese leaders stretching back to imperial times, but very much embraced by today’s leaders. The Chinese leadership believes that the country’s military strength has to be commensurate with its growing economic strength."