Weapons

China's been showing off a lot of new powerful weapons, and experts think they're sending a message

China ran report after report on Chinese military developments this past month, leading some observers to suspect that the country is trying to send a message to its rivals and citizens at a time of heightened tensions with the US.

China is "on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapon systems in the world," a new US defense intelligence assessment said in mid-January. The Chinese media seems determined to let the world, especially the US, know it's developing powerful new weapons.

The Chinese military is reportedly working on everything from railguns and knife guns to "carrier killer" anti-ship missiles. Here are seven of the weapons China's been showing off.

...Photos of an old tank-landing ship carrying a railgun prototype surfaced online last year, and Chinese state media said earlier last month that Chinese warships will "soon" be equipped with naval railguns capable of hitting targets at great distances.

"Chinese warships will 'soon' be equipped with world-leading electromagnetic railguns, as breakthroughs have been made," China's Global Times reported, citing state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). Chinese media said "China's naval electromagnetic weapon and equipment have surpassed other countries and become a world leader."