Why China Showcased the DF-5C Nuclear ICBM as Its Answer to Global Strike

When China rolled out the DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during its recent military parade in Beijing, it wasn’t just about tradition or showcasing legacy hardware. The end-of-parade slot has always been reserved for the People’s Liberation Army’s most powerful nuclear asset, and this year the DF-5C was chosen to send a very specific message: China is prepared to counter the United States’ Global Strike doctrine with overwhelming nuclear deterrence.

The Strategic Significance of the DF-5C

The DF-5 series has long been a backbone of China’s strategic missile arsenal. First entering service in 1981, it was Beijing’s first true long-range ICBM, with the ability to reach targets as far as 13,000 to 16,000 kilometers away—including the entire continental United States. Over decades, it has evolved through several upgrades, each improving range, payload, and survivability.

The DF-5C, the latest variant, represents the most formidable leap in this lineage. It is reportedly capable of carrying up to 12 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), each one a nuclear warhead capable of striking a separate target. This means a single DF-5C launch could overwhelm missile defense systems and deliver catastrophic damage across multiple points. For China, this ensures that no adversary can risk a first strike without facing devastating retaliation.

Countering the Global Strike Concept

The United States has for years pursued its Prompt Global Strike (PGS) strategy, designed to hit strategic targets anywhere in the world within an hour—using either conventional or nuclear warheads. From Beijing’s perspective, such a doctrine poses a direct threat to its nuclear deterrent, raising the risk that China’s retaliatory capability could be neutralized before it can be launched.

By showcasing the DF-5C, China is signaling that it has built a credible safeguard against this threat. With silo-based deployment, decoy silos, and the capacity to unleash an enormous payload of warheads, the DF-5C serves as a counterforce weapon that cannot easily be eliminated in a surprise attack. Even if some silos were destroyed, others could still respond with massive retaliation—ensuring the credibility of China’s nuclear deterrence posture.

A Contrast with the US Minuteman III

The comparison between the DF-5C and America’s Minuteman III is striking. The Minuteman, a solid-fuel missile, is optimized for speed and rapid readiness, but it has been restricted to a single warhead under arms control treaties. The DF-5C, while slower to launch due to liquid-fuel systems, emphasizes destructive payload and volume, with its dozen MIRVs offering a combined blast yield far greater than the Minuteman’s single warhead.

This contrast highlights two different nuclear strategies: Washington prioritizes rapid, flexible response, while Beijing emphasizes overwhelming retaliation to ensure that deterrence remains intact under any circumstances.

The Message from Beijing

By closing the parade with the DF-5C, China underscored that its nuclear modernization is not only about new mobile ICBMs like the DF-41 but also about strengthening its silo-based deterrent. It signals that Beijing is committed to ensuring its nuclear arsenal cannot be disarmed by a surprise strike.

This move also reflects a broader shift in China’s doctrine. The expansion of its silo fields and new command infrastructure indicates a move toward an “early warning counterstrike” capability—designed to respond quickly if China detects an incoming nuclear attack.

The decision to highlight the DF-5C was more than ceremonial—it was strategic. The missile represents China’s answer to the US Global Strike doctrine, ensuring that Beijing maintains a credible second-strike capability in an era of advanced missile defenses and rapid-strike strategies. By showcasing the DF-5C, China sent a clear message to the world: its nuclear deterrent is not only alive but evolving, and any attempt to neutralize it would come at an unacceptably high cost.