In the Indian tradition a 60th birthday is individually celebrated as the end of adulthood and the beginning of renunciation. In the case of China it marked instead a huge coming-out party. Actually, it was a series of three parties. The first was the Olympic Games in August 2008, the third will be the Shanghai Expo from 1 May to 30 October 2010. Sandwiched in between was the massive parade on 1 October 2009 showcasing China’s military might. It is important understand these in the correct context, because collectively these three occasions also mean the end of Deng Xiao-ping’s cautionary strategy for the modernization period: “Keep a cool head and maintain a low profile. Never take the lead - but aim to do something big.” This also means the end of the “peaceful rise/peaceful development period” and the emergence of a new China, that is no longer shy but will increasingly assert itself in the global arena. What does this signify for Asia and the world?

Preceding the October parade was the celebration marking the PLA Navy’s 60th anniversary on 23 April at Qingdao with an international fleet review. 21 ships from 14 countries participated and 29 foreign delegations were present. The PLA Navy (PLAN) was represented by a contingent of two nuclear and two diesel-electric submarines, five missile destroyers and six frigates. On this occasion the PLAN Chief announced China’s decision to acquire nuclear aircraft carriers. Numerous statements made during the ceremonies announcing the peaceful evolution of the PLAN must have impressed those present, but no one would have gone home without appreciating its rapid rise and potential. Admiral Sureesh Kumar, who was present at Qingdao, was to recognize this some time later when he acknowledged the strides made by the PLAN in recent years. No doubt this capability does not yet quite match that of other major navies in the world, but the direction of growth and the large naval acquisitions leave few in doubt of its future potential. Indeed, Robert Kaplan claims that "China is in the midst of a shipbuilding and acquisition craze that will result in the PLAN having more ships than the US Navy sometime in the next decade."

Even more impressive was the 1 October parade that followed at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Formally celebrating the 60th anniversary of the day that Mao had announced that the Chinese people had stood up, Hu Jintao said, “Today, a socialist China geared towards modernization, the world and the future towers majestically in the east. We have realized the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." The parade was meant to demonstrate that reality.

On display was mainly indigenous weaponry, most of which was exhibited for the first time. These included a fairly dazzling array of latest military hardware such as tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery, aircraft, space rockets, missiles and others. A 2,000 member band entertained and kept pace for the marching contingents. A 60 gun inaugural salute started the parade. All in all a massive display of military weapons, national pride and some might say xenophobia. Yet, such is the state of the nation and the world that there were no spectators. Threats from agitators and worse ensured that the people were restricted indoors, observing this massive collective endeavour only through television pictures broadcast around the world.

That China was determined to achieve the position of the leading nation in Asia by 2015 and in the world by 2050 was well known. The global economic meltdown and China’s own relative escape from that, has made an even earlier attainment of this goal possible. China’s economy will surpass that of Japan’s by next year and the US economy, perhaps a couple of decades later, especially if the actual value of their respective currencies were to be the basis of this calculation.

This has allowed the Chinese military to move rapidly from its earlier People’s War doctrine, to People’s War Under Modern Conditions, to Local War Under High Tech Conditions to Informationized Warfare. The weapons on display demonstrated the possibility of this transition earlier than expected. Even more significant is the Chinese military’s capability for conducting asymmetric warfare; through offensive cyber war and a range of precision strike weaponry. All the time maintaining the effectiveness of its nuclear deterrent capability as well as its ability to strike down satellites, should space be weaponized.  One such weapon demonstrated at Qingadao was the Dongfeng 21 fired from a submarine with a range of 2,000 kilometres and cruise missile accuracy that can destroy an aircraft carrier. This nullifies its weakness at sea.

It should be nobody’s prerogative to denigrate the enormous achievements of China in this century. Especially when one considers that the first 30 of the 60 years it is commemorating were largely wasted years of much suffering and death. Yet, Asia and the world expect that this new century will also be one of peace and prosperity for all. This possibility can be realized if the 60th anniversary also sees the emergence of a mature nation and an open society committed to collective global cooperative actions.