Xi Jinping said the world was facing a choice between peace or war as he held China’s largest-ever military parade, joined by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un in a show of defiance to the west.
Putin and Kim, the authoritarian leaders of Russia and North Korea, were among dozens of world leaders who attended the parade, a massive display of military hardware and personnel, orchestrated to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, which China calls the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
“Today, humanity is again faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum,” Xi told the crowd of more than 50,000 spectators, adding that the Chinese people “firmly stand on the right side of history”.
He said China was a great nation that “is never intimidated by any bullies” in an apparent veiled reference to the US and its allies, and warned that China was “unstoppable”.
After his remarks, Xi stood in an open-top car to inspect the parade, greeting troops and receiving salutes, as miles of military hardware drove by and warplanes flew overhead.
The event bookended a week of diplomatic grandstanding in China, with Xi hosting dozens of leaders in Tianjin, in a push to elevate groups dominated by the global south – and led by China – over western-led groups such as Nato. The years-long campaign has been aided by US president Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and volatile policymaking, which has strained its relations with allies and rivals alike.
But it was the unprecedented image of the three autocratic strongmen chatting and shaking hands as they walked along the red carpet in Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, that sent the strongest message of defiance to the west.
Vladimir Putin arriving for the military parade. Photograph: Sergey Bobylev/AFP/Getty Images
China has touted the parade as a show of unity with other countries, and Kim’s attendance is the first time he has been seen with Xi and Putin at the same event. It is only Kim’s second reported trip abroad in six years. The event drew an almost immediate reaction from Trump.
“May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account. “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un, as you conspire against the United States of America.”
Responding to Trump’s comments, the Kremlin said that “no one is plotting anything”.
The EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described the meeting of the three leaders as a “direct challenge to the international system built on rules … It’s not just symbolic. Russia’s war in Ukraine is being sustained by Chinese support.”
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The analyst Wen-Ti Sung, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, said: “Beijing is sending a message … that even if western countries continue to sanction Russia over the Russia-Ukraine war, Beijing will not be afraid to stand by its friend.”
Just hours after the parade, officials reported that Kim and Putin had held a formal meeting, in which Kim said he was willing to do “everything I can to assist” Russia, describing it as a “fraternal duty”, Russian state media reported.
According to South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent about 15,000 troops to Russia since they signed an agreement last year. Putin reportedly thanked Kim for the bravery and heroism of North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian troops.
Group shot of delegates walking
Putin’s appearance in Beijing came as Russia launched a sweeping overnight air attack on Ukraine, injuring at least four railway workers and prompting Poland to scramble defence aircraft.
Among the other guests in China are the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and the Myanmar junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing. No major western leaders are attending. Kim has been accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, images released by North Korean state news showed.
The office of Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, said he had met Putin on the sidelines of the parade on Wednesday. Prabowo defied large protests at home to travel to Beijing for the military celebrations.
Prabowo also met Xi on Wednesday. Chinese state media said Xi had expressed his support for Prabowo in restoring stability to Indonesia as soon as possible.
Armoured vehicles and troops during the parade. Photograph: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Analysts made much of the military hardware on display; from tanks and drones to long-range and nuclear capable missiles, fighter jets and stealth aircraft, with several newly developed assets unveiled.
The hardware is intended to “give the United States, Europe and China’s neighbours pause should they consider challenging China’s core national interests”, said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore
Some of the weaponry being shown to the public for the first time included hypersonic missiles designed to take out ships at sea, according to Chinese military officials. These weapons are of particular concern to the US navy, which patrols the western Pacific.
Also on display were underwater drones, including the AJX002, and a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61, which China says could carry nuclear warheads to distant targets.
Jennifer Parker, adjunct fellow in naval studies at UNSW Canberra, said the parade was more about China sending a specific message than signalling new capabilities. “You don’t do a parade like this to commemorate the end of world war two. You do a parade like this to show force, and you are choosing the capabilities that you put into that parade to send a specific message,” she said.
Xi’s speech contained several references to the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” – a common phrase for Xi’s overarching plan for China’s future, which hinges on annexing Taiwan as Chinese territory.
Xi and the Chinese Communist party claim Taiwan is a Chinese province, currently run by illegal separatists. Taiwan’s government and people are opposed to this.
The People’s Liberation Army has been undergoing large-scale modernisation and advancement under Xi, but it has also been beset by corruption issues, and in the past few years there have been purges of officials and personnel at levels not seen since the Mao Zedong era.
Additional reporting by Jason Tzu Kuan Lu and Daisy Dumas
