South China Morning Post recently published an article about the Dongfeng-31, mentioning that on the upcoming big day, the Dongfeng-31 series intercontinental ballistic missile will still make an appearance.

This missile, which has been in service for nearly two decades, seems to have been replaced by the more advanced Dongfeng-41 as the mainstay. Why is it still being showcased?

Hong Kong media pointed out that this arrangement is not due to nostalgia, but rather a deliberate strategic signal.

Although the Dongfeng-31 is no longer technologically leading, it remains the mainstay and is still a core pillar of China's nuclear force system.

From the perspective of nuclear counterattack capability, nuclear strategic balance, or international psychological warfare, this missile still plays an irreplaceable role.

CCTV footage

The significance of the Dongfeng-31 to China's strategic system is great. Its appearance marks the starting point of China's nuclear force modernization.

In the 1990s, China's intercontinental nuclear strike capability relied almost entirely on the liquid-fueled Dongfeng-5 series.

This missile was launched from fixed wells, requiring a long time to fuel before launch, with poor concealment and low survivability. Once subjected to a preemptive nuclear strike, it had almost no capacity for a second retaliation.

The emergence of the Dongfeng-31 changed this situation.

It was China's first solid-fuel, mobile-launch land-based intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of stopping, firing, and moving, greatly increasing the possibility of surviving and retaliating in a nuclear conflict.

The Dongfeng-31 made its debut during the National Day parade in 1999 and was officially put into service in 2006. It has since undergone continuous upgrades, resulting in the Dongfeng-31A, which has a longer range and stronger penetration capabilities, and the all-terrain mobile version, the Dongfeng-31AG.

These breakthroughs not only filled technical gaps but also laid the foundation for subsequent Dongfeng-41 and the Jiujiang-2 submarine-launched missiles.

From a strategic perspective, the Dongfeng-31 enabled China to move from limited nuclear defense to a reliable nuclear retaliation era. It represents a change in the fundamental logic of nuclear strategy.

CCTV footage

Although the Dongfeng-31 is no longer the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, it remains a backbone of China's nuclear force system.

For China, which adheres to the policy of not using nuclear weapons first, a reliable second-strike nuclear capability is the core guarantee of strategic stability, and the Dongfeng-31 is an important basis for achieving this capability.

It can be deployed discreetly across China's vast road network through high-mobility launch vehicles, forcing opponents to allocate significant resources to cover potential launch positions when considering a preemptive strike, thus significantly increasing overall survival rates.

In terms of range, the Dongfeng-31 series can cover most of the United States, as well as key nodes in Guam, Hawaii, and the Indo-Pacific region.

These capabilities make it a stabilizing factor in strategic nuclear deterrence, supporting quantity redundancy. Even if it is technologically surpassed, the Dongfeng-31 remains a stable foundation for China's nuclear retaliation capability.

CCTV footage

In September, the Dongfeng-31 will once again be displayed, reflecting considerations of psychological warfare.

Celebration activities are not just equipment displays but also strategic communications.

Facing the accelerated deployment of U.S. homeland missile defense systems and the expansion of medium-range forces in the Asia-Pacific region, China's decision to highlight this veteran intercontinental missile sends a clear message: China's nuclear retaliation capability is not only mature but also extensive in scale and complete in system.

Compared to the Dongfeng-41, the Dongfeng-31 is more suitable for public display. On one hand, it avoids revealing too much sensitive information about new models, and on the other hand, it uses this veteran missile to create a stable and controllable image.

It is also a symbolic piece of equipment representing China's independent development of nuclear forces. It witnessed the transition from fixed well liquid-fueled to solid-fueled mobile launches, and carried the country's transformation from having nothing to something, and from weak to strong, at the level of nuclear strategy.

Therefore, this public appearance is a strategic declaration: even if the Dongfeng-41 takes over completely in the future, China will still maintain a large-scale, verified nuclear retaliation force.

Although the role of the Dongfeng-31 has shifted from the main character of the nuclear strategy to a reliable backup, its value has not decreased.

For today's China, this missile is not only an important part of the nuclear deterrence system, but also an important tool for strategic stability, international communication, and psychological warfare.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7543151241010872895/

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