Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a grand military parade in Beijing on Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan. He was flanked by his Russian and North Korean counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, among some 20 heads of state and government, warning that the world is at a crossroads.
“Today, humanity faces a choice between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, mutual benefit or a zero-sum game,” he declared before a large statue of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square. He also asserted that “the noble cause of peace and the development of humanity will undoubtedly triumph,” according to the state news agency Xinhua.
During the event, which included thousands of soldiers and hundreds of military vehicles, the president emphasized that “with enormous national sacrifice, the Chinese people made a significant contribution to saving human civilization and safeguarding world peace,” paying tribute to Chinese veterans before inspecting the troops.
The parade was attended by 26 world leaders, including Putin and Kim, marking the North Korean leader’s first visit in six years. Many of the heads of state and government present participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit a few days ago, including representatives from Vietnam, Malaysia, Pakistan, Belarus, Iran, Serbia, Slovakia, and India, in a meeting partly intended to strengthen ties with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
The event is part of Xi’s effort to demonstrate the country’s growing military capabilities while stoking nationalist sentiment amid tensions with the United States and Taiwan’s demands for autonomy. He also seeks to reinforce China’s status as a pillar of the post-World War II world order.
White House President Donald Trump has accused his Russian and North Korean counterparts of “conspiring” against the United States in a message on Truth Social in which he reminded Xi of the American “blood” contribution to Japan’s defeat in World War II.
