China marked the 60th anniversary of communist rule on Thursday with a parade in Tiananmen Square that showcased 63 types of cutting-edge weapons including long-range nuclear missiles. All of the weapons unveiled were developed with Chinese technology, and 36 of them were displayed for the first time, according to Global News, a sister publication of the official People's Daily.

Among weapons showcased for the first time was the DongFeng 31A intercontinental ballistic missile, whose 11,000 km range makes it capable of hitting targets in the continental United States. It is improved version of the DongFeng 31 unveiled during the 50th anniversary of communist rule in 1999. It carries three 20 to 150 kt nuclear warheads equivalent to between 20,000 to 150,000 million tons of TNT.

Also unveiled were the JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and CH-10 land attack cruise missiles. A total of 108 missiles were displayed on Thursday, three times more than the missiles shown in 1999. China's Air Force and Navy unveiled two early-warning surveillance aircraft as well as the J-10 fighter jet based on former Soviet designs and the JH-7 fighter bomber.

Surface-to-surface conventional missiles take part in the parade of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of communist rule in Beijing, China on Thursday. /Xinhua

The reason for the unprecedented demonstration of military hardware is apparently a sense that it is time to show off the results of the country's military modernization program that began in the late 1990s. "The Chinese military already has various weapons that have been deployed by advanced western countries, and some of our weapons are the best in the world," Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said.