Prideful, Nationalistic Sabre Rattling?

In three weeks and three days China is going to celebrate its 60th anniversary. It's a really big deal here, and the preparations are well underway.

A parade of army vehicles, long range missiles, soldiers, jet flyovers will travel along the main thoroughfare of Beijing, Chang'an Street. (That's the street that runs right in front of Mao's picture and just north of Tian'anmen Square.) 

It's all very foreign when I think about an entire army, and it's machines of war marching through the nation's capital. Try to imagine the US army and all the missiles and tanks cruising down Pennsylvania Ave and up the mall to the Capitol. And then imagine that even if you wanted to go an watch, you can't. That's right, no "non-military or uninvited guests" are allowed to watch the event on October 1st in person. But everyone in China will be watching it from their living rooms.

I'm just trying to figure out what the real point of this event is. Is it an attempt to bring about a form of naionalistic pride characteristic of any good communist country? Or sabre rattling to intimidate other countries? This quote from the Global Times is pretty interesting: 

Li Daguang, a senior military expert at the PLA University of National Defense, emphasized that the military parade is not for saber rattling but aims to promote national pride, confidence and awareness of national defense.

"Some countries, observing China's parade with colored glasses, show off their weapons around the world on the battlefield instead," Li said.

Why does a country maintain an army? Self protection and intimidation of enemies. Who does the US intimidate when we use weapons on the battlefield? Who does China intimidate when they drive them down the mainstreat of their capital? I doubt this event will be televised in other parts of the world, but people in Xinjiang, Tibet and every home in China will get to watch it.

Is the overall intention a nation filled with pride at watching the CCTV broadcast of the parade or fear.