China’s unveiling of “carrier-killer” missiles and cuts in troop numbers yesterday underlined its shift towards naval strength amid growing Pacific rivalry with the United States, analysts said.

More than a dozen anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of traveling at 10 times the speed of sound were shown at the parade in Beijing, with state television calling them a “trump card” in potential conflicts and”one of China’s key weapons in asymmetric warfare”. For a fraction of the cost of an aircraft carrier the missile threatens to alter the balance of power in the Pacific.

The land-based DF-21D intermediate- range missile is said to be equipped with onboard terminal guidance systems that give it the unprecedented ability to attack a moving target, such as a carrier group at sea.

… The missile “serves as a deterrent which requires rivals in the region to think twice about deploying aircraft carrier groups against China,” James Char, an analyst at Singapore’s Nanyang University said.

The technology is untested but it underlines “the growing importance of China’s naval forces” as Beijing seeks to project its power more widely in the air and on sea, he added.