The Chinese military (PLA) primarily uses domestically produced rifles like the QBZ-95 (bullpup) and its replacement, the more conventional QBZ-191, both firing the proprietary 5.8x42mm cartridge, alongside sidearms like the QSZ-92 pistol, with older rifles like the AK-derived Type 81 used by reserves; they also employ various specialized weapons like sniper rifles (QBU series), shotguns (QBS-09), and rocket launchers.
QBZ-191. The QBZ-191 (Chinese: 191式自动步枪; pinyin: Yāo jiǔ yāo Shì Zìdòng Bùqiāng) is a Chinese assault rifle chambered for the 5.8×42mm intermediate cartridge, designed and manufactured by Chongqing Jianshe as a new-generation service rifle for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police (PAP).
Both 9mm and 5.8mm QSZ-92 variants have been in use by the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police and the People's Police as one of their standard sidearms.
Here are 12 of China's most advanced military weapons — that we currently know about.
Whether China could defeat the U.S. Navy is a complex, debated question, with some analyses suggesting China's large fleet and advanced anti-ship missiles pose a serious threat, especially in regional conflicts near its shores, while others emphasize the U.S.'s technological edge, nuclear submarines, and global power projection, indicating a potential U.S. victory but acknowledging China's growing capabilities and potential to inflict significant damage, making a decisive outcome highly dependent on the specific scenario and location of the conflict.
Russia and the United States together possess nearly 90% of the world's nuclear weapons, with Russia holding the largest total stockpile and the U.S. having a substantial number of deployed strategic warheads, making them the dominant nuclear powers by far, despite other nations like China, the UK, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea also having nuclear arsenals.
The 5.8×42mm / DBP87 (Chinese: 弹，步枪，普通 87; pinyin: Dàn, Bùqiāng, Pŭtōng, 87, lit. 'Cartridge, Rifle, Standard, '87') is a military bottlenecked intermediate cartridge developed in the People's Republic of China.
Chinese Type-56 7.62mm Assault Rifle
The Type-56 Assault Rifle is a Chinese copy of the Kalashnikov AK-47. While early Type-56s were copies of the third generation milled receiver AK-47, later Type-56s were patterned after the improved AKM with stamped receivers.
China is generally considered stronger economically and in terms of raw military numbers, with a much larger economy and personnel, but Japan possesses highly advanced technology, a technologically superior military (especially air/missile defense), and a powerful ally in the U.S., making it a formidable, high-tech force, though facing challenges like an aging population and economic stagnation. A direct conflict would be complex: China dominates in sheer scale, while Japan excels in quality, modern equipment (like F-35s), and strategic alliances, potentially winning a long-term technological/supply-chain battle.
Visually, most versions of the Type 56 are distinguished from the AK-47 and AKM by the fully enclosed hooded front sight (all other AK pattern rifles, including those made in Russia, have a partially open front sight). Many versions also feature a folding bayonet attached to the barrel just aft of the muzzle.
U.S. sanctions
In August 2003, the Bush administration imposed sanctions on Norinco for allegedly selling missile-related goods to Iran. These sanctions led to a prohibition on imports into the US of the remaining types of firearms and ammunition not covered by the 1993 ban.
With the exception of individuals with hunting permits and some ethnic minorities, civilian firearm ownership is restricted to non-individual entities. Law enforcement, military, paramilitary, and security personnel are allowed to use firearms. Police are to use issued pistols only to stop serious or dangerous crimes.
The Type 95 automatic rifle (Chinese: 95式自动步枪; pinyin: 95 Shì Zìdòng Bùqiāng) or QBZ-95 is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured by Norinco, and issued since 1995 as the service rifle for the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police, and various law enforcement agencies in the People's Republic of ...
The AK-47 was developed shortly after the Second World War and became standard Soviet service issue. The Type 56 was manufactured in China.
The Dongfeng-61 (simplified Chinese: 东风-61; traditional Chinese: 東風-61; lit. 'East Wind-61', DF-61) is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the People's Republic of China. The missile was publicly unveiled at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade on 3 September 2025 in Beijing.
The AN-94 is rare because its incredibly complex and expensive design made it impractical for mass issue, despite its innovative "hyperburst" feature for high accuracy in two-round bursts; it suffered from high cost, difficult maintenance, poor ergonomics, and low reliability compared to simpler rifles like the AK-74, limiting it to limited special forces use.
Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov (or "AK") family of rifles. After more than seven decades since its creation, the AK-47 model and its variants remain one of the most popular and widely used firearms in the world.
Hypersonic weapons
China is reportedly now developing a new generation of advanced mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Believed to be China's most powerful, the DF-61 was on show. It is said to have a range of 14,000 km.
Of all the cartridges discussed here, the 6.5 Creedmoor, in my opinion, is the most inherently accurate. I've never met one that wouldn't shoot one-MOA groups, and many of them will halve that, even with factory ammunition.
The Howa Type 89 assault rifle (89式小銃, hachi-kyū-shiki-shōjū), referred to as the Type 89 5.56 mm rifle (89式5.56mm小銃, hachi-kyū-shiki-go-ten-go-roku-miri-shōjū), is a Japanese assault rifle used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Coast Guard's Special Security Team units, and the Special Assault Team.
The Tsar Bomba (code name: Ivan or Vanya, internal designation "AN602") was the most powerful nuclear weapon or weapon of any kind ever constructed and tested. A project of the Soviet Union, it was a thermonuclear aerial bomb, tested on 30 October 1961 at the Novaya Zemlya site in the country's far north.
Who has the most nuclear weapons? Russia has the most confirmed nuclear weapons, with over 5,500 nuclear warheads. The United States follows behind with 5,044 nuclear weapons, hosted in the US and 5 other nations: Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.