In a striking display of authoritarian solidarity, Chinese President Xi Jinping presided Wednesday over a sweeping military parade in Tiananmen Square, flanked by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The event marked the first time the three men appeared together in public, underscoring a tightening alliance among powers openly hostile to the West.
The spectacle, billed as a “Victory Day” celebration of the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, carried little of the conciliatory tone the title might suggest.
Instead, it served as a showcase of China’s growing military ambitions, featuring newly unveiled missiles, drones, and advanced weaponry.
Xi’s message to the world was unambiguous. “Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum,” he told the crowd in Tiananmen Square. He declared that China was “unstoppable” and insisted its people “firmly stand on the right side of history.”
The 70-minute affair included columns of goose-stepping soldiers, formations of helicopters and fighter jets, and, in a theatrical finale, the release of 80,000 doves.
More than 25 foreign heads of state or government were in attendance, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — two leaders widely regarded as pariahs in the West. Notably absent was any U.S. representation.
The weapons on display offered a sobering reminder of Beijing’s accelerating modernization program. Among the most alarming additions were intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.
The DF-61, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads over more than 7,500 miles, was rolled out for the first time, alongside the DF-5C, an upgraded version of China’s silo-based missile with an estimated range of nearly 12,500 miles, according to the Associated Press.
Also highlighted were the JL-1 air-launched long-range missile and the JL-3 submarine-launched missile, both nuclear-capable. Xinhua, the state-run news agency, boasted that the parade marked the first time China’s “triad of strategic nuclear forces was presented in a concentrated fashion,” describing the arsenal as a “trump card for safeguarding national sovereignty and defending national dignity.”
China also introduced weapons aimed squarely at U.S. military dominance in the Pacific. Newly unveiled anti-ship missiles — the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20 — are designed to strike naval vessels at hypersonic speeds and long ranges.
Military analysts note such weapons could threaten American aircraft carriers, long a cornerstone of U.S. power projection in Asia.
Other hardware included the aircraft-carrier version of the J-35 stealth multirole fighter, seven types of reconnaissance and attack drones, and two submarine drones — further evidence of Beijing’s focus on challenging U.S. forces in multiple domains.
President Donald J. Trump, who has long warned about the dangers of Chinese military expansion, responded on Truth Social. “Give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America,” he wrote, addressing Xi directly. Trump’s remarks underscored the perception among conservatives that the Biden administration’s absence from the event reflects a dangerous complacency toward the growing Beijing-Moscow-Pyongyang axis.
The parade, far from a historical commemoration, sent an unmistakable message: China is positioning itself as a military power willing to confront the West head-on, and it has found eager partners in Russia and North Korea.
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