China showcases military, diplomatic prowess at parade attended by Putin, Kim

BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a grand military parade on Sept 3, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a show of force and defiance against the global order led by the United States.

While billed as a celebration of China’s World War II victory over Japan 80 years ago, the parade also underlined China’s current and future military reach – with the US squarely in mind – as Beijing unveiled weapons capable of striking targets worldwide.

From the same rostrum atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) where Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Mr Xi, clad in a Mao suit, vowed that China “does not fear power or intimidation and is determined to stand self-reliant and strong”.

The words could just as well have been said by Mr Putin and Mr Kim – strongmen who have resisted pressure from the US, for Russia to end the war in Ukraine and for North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal, respectively. The parade marked the first time the three leaders have appeared together in public.

“Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win outcomes or zero-sum games,” Mr Xi told a crowd of more than 50,000 spectators, adding that “the Chinese people firmly stand on the right side of history”.

More than 20 heads of state or government attended the parade, including Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who did so despite having had to deal with protests at home. Singapore was represented by

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.

But top leaders of major Western democracies, including the US, were absent.

The parade, televised live, drew an immediate response from US President Donald Trump, who accused the trio of working against the US. “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America,” he posted on his Truth Social platform, without further elaboration.

The camaraderie between Mr Xi, Mr Putin and Mr Kim was on full display at the parade. They often turned to one another to comment as the contingents marched by or as the weapons moved pass.

In an apparent hot-mic moment, Mr Xi, 72,

was heard telling Mr Putin

, also 72, how common it has become to live beyond 70. A live broadcast of their walk to the parade captured Mr Xi saying: “Predictions are that in this century, people may live to 150.”

For Mr Putin, who faces an international arrest warrant, and Mr Kim, who is rarely welcomed outside North Korea, the Beijing parade offered them a rare chance to be on the global stage.

“Xi’s public show of solidarity with Mr Putin and Mr Kim suggests Beijing is growing less discreet about avoiding the label of a so-called ‘axis of evil’, even as it insists it does not seek a bloc-style confrontation with the West,” Mr Zhao Tong, a senior fellow with the Carnegie China think-tank, told The Straits Times.

He said the leaders’ joint presence at China’s prominent display of strategic military capabilities signalled a shared commitment to bolstering their armed forces and reshaping the security landscape to reinforce one another.

At the parade, China showed off a wide array of weapons, from an upgraded, nuclear-armed missile with near-global reach and air defence lasers, to hypersonic weapons and sea drones.

One that drew gasps from spectators was the DF-5C, a variant of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) said to have “global strike range”. Another missile that analysts say was most likely also an ICBM, the DF-61, was unveiled for the first time.

For many Chinese, it was not so much the missiles, but the goose-stepping ranks and drill-perfect precision that stirred pride.

“The parade demonstrated to the people of China that the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) is a large, technologically advanced, disciplined and well-trained force able to protect the Communist Party’s interests at home and abroad,” Mr Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told ST.

Coming after scores of senior generals – including those overseeing equipment upgrades – were purged in recent years, the parade also helped dispel doubts about the military’s quality and loyalty.

“The parade affirmed that Xi Jinping is firmly in control of the party, army and government, including each of their ideological and propaganda enterprises,” Mr Thompson said.

Besides showcasing China’s military muscle, the parade was a carefully choreographed spectacle designed to bolster patriotism and public confidence at a time of intensifying geopolitical turbulence.

China’s rivalry with the US has deepened in recent years, with tensions escalating over trade, technology and regional security. China also faces mounting challenges at home, from sluggish economic growth and a weak job market to a prolonged property crisis, which has left some Chinese feeling the squeeze.

But on Sept 3, as the uniform thud of boots on asphalt echoed across Tiananmen Square, those worries were momentarily set aside.

Parade spectators – all of whom were handpicked to attend – waved national flags in unison to soaring patriotic songs praising the Communist Party of China (CPC) and pledging loyalty to the nation, and clapped enthusiastically whenever Mr Xi or a foreign leader appeared on the giant screens.

Beijing native Yan Zi, whose 10-year-old son was selected by his school to attend the parade, said it was important to her that her son knew about how the country had overcome hardship.

“Patriotic education must be rooted in his heart, and it starts from home. It builds his self-confidence to know that his country now is strong and mighty,” said Ms Yan.

Her son, wearing a red scarf symbolising the blood of revolutionary martyrs and a lapel pin marking him as a member of the CPC’s youth wing, Young Pioneers of China, said he was “wide awake” and “ready to cheer for the military march-past” despite having left home as early as 2.30am.

The parade, China’s second of its kind after the inaugural event in 2015, was the culmination of months of preparation.

In the lead-up to the parade, 10 elaborate 3D floral installations were erected along Chang’an Avenue, which runs through the heart of Beijing near Tiananmen. Each display was designed to depict either China’s wartime victories or its vision of national rejuvenation, serving as carefully crafted visual narratives that set the tone for the parade.

One installation, titled Ode To The Yellow River, featured a mist-shrouded recreation of the Hukou Waterfall, a symbol of national resilience, and played the patriotic melody Defend The Yellow River.

Crops such as millet, sorghum and sugarcane, which evoke China’s wartime self-reliance and agricultural resilience, were also incorporated into these displays. On Chinese social media platforms, these floral installations became popular photo spots as the parade day drew near.

The 90-minute parade, slightly longer than the initially planned 70 minutes, ended with a flourish: A large number of doves – reportedly 80,000 – were released into the sky to symbolise peace, followed by a cascade of colourful balloons.