- President XI is launching the parade marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War
- Warns that the world is always “confronted with a choice of peace or war”, but China is “unstoppable”
- The modest absence of India and the presence of the PM Shehbaz highlights the growing meaning of Pakistan in the region
- In addition to intercontinental ballistic missiles, new underwater drones and supersonic missiles was among the latest equipment on display
- No major of Western dignitaries were among the two dozen world leaders in the event
Beijing: North Korean chief Kim Jong Une, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif flanked Chinese President Xi Jinping during a huge soldiers parade could in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of diplomatic grandeur by the Chinese president and his allies against the West.
The event, ostensibly to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, was an opportunity for Xi to put extravagance to present the military prowess of China and bring together friendly leaders to send a message to the rest of the world.
Beginning the parade, President XI warned that the world was still “confronted with a choice of peace or war”, but said that China was “unstoppable”.
The huge intercontinental ballistic missile of China DF-5C, with a range of 20,000 kilometers, counted in a good place among the tons of exposed equipment.
Radio Pakistan managed by the State reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “not invited to the parade” and that the presence of the PM Shehbaz alongside XI, Putin and Kim underlined the growing meaning of Pakistan in the region.
PM @Cmshehbaz Assisting the big 80th 80th anniversary parade of the Second World War in Beijing@Pakpmo #Radiopakistan #news https://t.co/fr9yp3sary pic.twitter.com/rmabtlbk69
– Radio Pakistan (@radiopakistan) September 3, 2025
The strongly choreographed event gave an acid response from US President Donald Trump, who accused the three leaders of plotting against the United States.
“Give my best chords to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, while you conspire against the United States of America,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Exposed military equipment
During the 90-minute parade, XI inspected the troops and the massive weapons of an open limousine in the vast avenue Chang’an de Beijing before turning around to reach his guests in a living room above the emblematic portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen, the entrance door of the historic prohibited city.
The huge collection of military vehicles and heavy weapons from China has exceeded dignitaries, while images of thousands of soldiers and women in immaculate uniforms walking in tight ranks and soldiers jumping in and out of vehicles were shown in a program of smooth state media.
In addition to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), new underwater drones and supersonic missiles were among the latest equipment on display.
Beijing residents came out in the streets to get a spectacular preview of dozens of war and helicopter plants, some of “80” training.
Millions of Chinese were killed in an prolonged war with Imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s, which became part of a world conflict after Tokyo’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtzhkjpjs7q
Whirlwind Week
All eyes were on how the trio of XI, Putin and Kim – which rarely leave North Korea Secret – interacted with each other, but the disseminated state media offered only rare arrondissements of the three sets and foreign journalists were kept at a distance and said they did not film or photograph the leaders.
The event was the culmination of a week of whirlwind for XI, who welcomed a slew of Eurasian leaders for a summit aimed at putting China at the center of regional relations.
The club of 10 countries, appointed the Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO), presents itself as a style of non -Western collaboration in the region and seeks to be an alternative to traditional alliances.
During the summit, XI criticized the “intimidation behavior” of certain countries – a veiled reference in the United States – while Putin defended the offensive of Ukraine in Russia, blaming the West for having triggered the conflict.
Many guests from the Tianjin rally, including Putin, President Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko and several other leaders, joined Xi for the Beijing parade. However, no major Western dignitary was one of the two dozen world leaders in the event.
Political influence
The security around Beijing has been tightened, with road closures, military staff parked on bridges and street corners, and kilometers for miles of white barriers connecting the large boulevards of the capital.
China has presented the parade as a unit demonstration, and the presence of Kim is the first time he has been seen with XI and Putin at the same event. This is only his second trip reported abroad in six years.
Kim was accompanied during the trip by his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who was photographed when he arrived at Beijing station, and her sister Kim Yo Jong, who was photographed by AFP during a gala lunch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q9tzky6d6W
Putin and Kim had talks after today’s parade, during which the Russian president thanked Kim for the deployments of North Korean soldiers to help Russia in his conflict with Ukraine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fx-xvfud68
Lam Peng Er, principal researcher of the Eastern Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore, said that Kim’s visit “demonstrates the North Koreans and the world that he has powerful Russian and Chinese friends who treat him with respect”.
“China also shows that it has summoned power and political influence to bring together Putin and Kim Jong one,” he told AFP.
