Part 2/18:
The parade was a showcase of China’s expanding arsenal, particularly focusing on cutting-edge weapons designed for modern warfare and strategic deterrence. Central among these were hypersonic anti-ship missiles capable of sinking US aircraft carriers. These missiles, traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5, are maneuverable and capable of evading interception, making them a key element of China's anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy in the Pacific. The implication is clear: Beijing aims to make the waters around Taiwan and the broader Pacific so perilous for US naval forces that operating there becomes a strategic gamble.