Want to relive the Chinese military parade? Try this cuddly missile plushie

Name: What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?
Uploaded: 2025-09-12T08:00:13.000Z
Duration: 6 min 7 s
Description: What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?

‘Sleep with the DF-5C pillow, as it provides the highest sense of security … It covers the entire globe,’ goes the blurb for an ICBM toy

Reading Time:3 minutes

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Toymakers across Taobao, the country’s biggest e-commerce site, are busy making stuffed versions of the DF-61 and DF-5C domestically made intercontinental ballistic missiles that were unveiled in last week’s parade. Photo: Handout

Phoebe Zhangin ShenzhenandAlcott Weiin Beijing

Published: 4:00pm, 12 Sep 2025

A week has passed since China held its Victory Day parade but fans have kept up the national pride momentum by buying missile toys and creating trend videos.

Toymakers across Taobao, the country’s biggest e-commerce site, are busy making plush toy versions of the DF-61 and DF-5C domestically made intercontinental ballistic missiles that were unveiled in the September 3 parade.

In one shop, a pillow replica of the DF-5C comes in green, brown and white, and in three sizes up to 160cm (61 inches). The website said the item had become the most popular attraction in the shop, drawing more than 2,000 views and over 200 orders.

“Sleep with the DF-5C pillow, as it provides the highest sense of security,” the description for the toy said. “It covers the entire globe.”

06:07

What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?

The phrase became popular among netizens after Chinese state media described the weapons as “globe-covering” and offered “defence-penetrating” military strike capabilities during a live broadcast of the parade.

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