The Chinese military rolled past Tiananmen Square in an impressive display ...


But to what purpose? Chinese hearts were surely bursting with pride. It was a wonderful display for nationalists. The missile forces and the amphibious forces were also a wonderful display ... of aggressive intent. For all of the talk of strategic defense, the amphibious vessels are purely an assault weapon ... and Taiwan is the only target. The missiles too are aimed at Taiwan, and equally to the US Navy. It bodes ill for the stability of the Pacific region that China chose to celebrate their 60th anniversary as a military event, and only followed it with civilian and far less impressive displays. Was it a deliberate choice to show the world that China is ready to get more assertive? Or was it purely aimed at domestic consumption?