Xi Jinping says China is ‘unstoppable’ and world faces ‘peace or war’, as Putin and Kim join him for military parade
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 the red carpet in Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, that analysts said sent the strongest message of defiance to the west.
“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,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
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.”
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”, according to Russian state media.
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 Moscow’s troops.
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.
Analysts are watching closely to see if any formal meeting between Xi, Putin and Kim is held.
“If all three were to meet, it would be very striking to the United States, highlighting a potential new cold war dynamic,” said Lim Chuan-Tiong, a researcher with the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo. “If such a meeting does not take place, it is likely because China does not want to overly provoke the US while maintaining a certain degree of triangular ambiguity.”
