China boasts of military display - Xi in unity with Putin and Kim
In Beijing, a grand military parade was held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 10,000 soldiers, hundreds of vehicles, and aircraft participated in the event, which was titled "The Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression."
State and party leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were among the notable attendees. Xi, in his speech, called for peace and warned of new dangers, while Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, and his daughter accompanied him on this rare foreign trip.
The parade showcased a variety of new Chinese-made weapons, including mobile lasers, torpedo-shaped underwater drones, unmanned patrol boats, hypersonic and supersonic rockets, and intercontinental missiles capable of reaching targets in the USA and Europe.
However, the event was met with criticism from some quarters. Many Western diplomats chose to stay away, and the only EU government leader present was the Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico. The Nationalists, who retreated to Taiwan after Japan's surrender, have often been critical of Beijing's portrayal of the war era, citing the fact that the People's Republic did not exist in 1945 as a reason for their criticism.
Amidst the celebrations, tensions also seemed to simmer. US President Donald Trump accused Xi of conspiring against the USA on his social network Truth Social. In response, Putin's foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, stated that no one had instigated any conspiracies or cooked up anything in response to Trump's accusations.
The parade also served as a platform for strengthening alliances. Putin thanked North Korea for soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in the recapture of the western Russian region of Kursk from Ukrainian forces. Kim Jong Un replied that North Korea saw helping Russia as a "brotherly duty."
Representatives from Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Iran, Indonesia, South Korea, Slovakia, and Serbia were also in attendance, underscoring the global significance of the event.
Claus Soong of the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) stated that Beijing's parade primarily serves external political goals, including reinterpreting the historical memory of World War II. The military parade revisited a dark chapter in Chinese history, as Japan attacked China in 1937, resulting in millions of casualties.
As the world watches, the implications of this military parade and the alliances formed during it remain to be seen.
