Mystery Chinese 'tanks' spotted travelling cloaked in giant boxes

China has sparked speculation that it will unveil a new tank after mystery vehicles were spotted in Beijing covered in what appears to be a large box. At least four of the vehicles can be seen driving down what looks like a closed-off road, accompanied by lorries to the side. They also feature writing on the side that reads "Road Inspection Vehicle", though they don't appear to fit that purpose.

It's not yet known what vehicles are under the boxes, though it's been suggested that they could be armoured vehicles ahead of the September 3 military parade. The video of the string of vehicles appears to come from Chinese social networking platform RedNote before reportedly being removed.

It's also not known when the footage was taken, but it's thought to be recent. It was captured near Tiananmen Square, where the upcoming military parade will take place.

The 80th anniversary of the victory in the War against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War will be observed with a series of ceremonial events.

The September 3 military parade will commemorate the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have all been invited.

Wu Zeke, a senior officer in the Chinese military, said the parade will include "new-type combat capabilities" and traditional combat forces.

He said the new generation of weaponry will demonstrate Beijing's "strong ability to adapt to technological trends and evolving warfare, and to prevail in future wars".

The Chinese government has previously unveiled new weapons and hardware at these events, such as uncrewed combat air vehicles and rocket-powered reconnaissance drones.