Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the world was facing a stark choice between peace and war as China staged a massive military parade in Beijing, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an unprecedented show of force.
The spectacle, marking 80 years since Japan’s defeat in World War II, drew more than 50,000 spectators to Tiananmen Square. Western leaders largely stayed away, leaving Putin and Kim, both isolated internationally over Ukraine and nuclear weapons, as guests of honour alongside Xi in a striking display of geopolitical alignment.
“Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum,” Xi told the crowd, declaring that the Chinese people firmly stand on the right side of history.
Dressed in a Mao-style tunic, Xi inspected troops and cutting-edge weaponry from an open-top limousine, including hypersonic missiles, underwater drones, and weaponized robot-wolf. Fighter jets and helicopters thundered overhead before the release of 80,000 birds of peace in a tightly choreographed 70-minute showcase.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, President of China Xi Jinping and Heads of foreign delegations before the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II pic.twitter.com/7qeZDzXV6A
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) September 3, 2025
Xi earlier greeted more than 25 foreign leaders, including Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who appeared despite protests at home. It was the first time Xi, Putin, and Kim appeared together in public, with the Chinese leader seated between them in the viewing gallery.
Following the parade, Putin and Kim held talks at China’s State Guesthouse. Putin thanked North Korea its courageous fighting in Ukraine, while Kim pledged to support Russia.
The display follows a June 2024 military pact between Moscow and Pyongyang and a deepening security partnership with Beijing, moves analysts say could reshape Asia-Pacific defence dynamics. Putin also advanced new energy deals with China during his visit, while Kim used the occasion to seek tacit backing for North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Notably, it was the first appearance of a North Korean leader at a Chinese military parade in 66 years. Kim, who travelled with his daughter and likely successor Ju Ae, was also seen shaking hands with South Korean parliamentary speaker Woo Won-shik before the parade, despite Pyongyang’s rejection of Seoul’s recent peace overtures.
The event unfolded against a backdrop of strained ties between Beijing and Washington, worsened by tariffs and policy unpredictability under US President Donald Trump. As the parade began, Trump posted on Truth Social, recalling America’s role in defeating Japan in World War II and sarcastically addressing Xi that, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America.”
Xi has cast World War II as a turning point in China’s great rejuvenation, framing the country as a global power that overcame foreign humiliation.
