Xi Jinping displays military power to the world: "China is unstoppable"

BeijingPresident Xi Jinping declared China "unstoppable" from Tiananmen Square, before kicking off the grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II in Asia. "Today, humanity faces the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation," he said before more than 50,000 spectators. In this dichotomy, he asserted, the Chinese people stand "firmly on the right side of history."

The Asian giant displayed its military might and the power of its modernized army while confirming the strength of its alliances with Russia and North Korea. The president entered the stands in the square, located above the portrait of Mao, flanked by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. An image that highlights the rift with the West—and especially the United States—which maintains sanctions against both countries.

Beijing has broken its isolation of the Russian president and the North Korean supreme leader and welcomed them as honored guests. The rest of the 26 heads of state attending the parade were Asian neighbors or members of the Global South.

China had promised the largest military parade in history and presented a meticulously choreographed spectacle. The ceremony began with 80 cannon salutes in tribute to the years since the end of the war and the traditional flag-raising by soldiers marching the goose-step. In the square, adorned with flower arrangements and banners commemorating the dates being celebrated, 1945 and 2025, seating was provided for a total of around 50,000 guests.

Xi Jinping delivered a short speech praising his country's strength, self-reliance, and unafraid of violence. "The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable," he asserted. He also emphasized that only when countries treat each other as equals can "the causes of war be eliminated and the tragedies of history be prevented from repeating." The occasion was a fitting opportunity to highlight "the enormous national sacrifice" made by the Chinese people to save human civilization and to remind international leaders—and especially Donald Trump, currently embroiled in a trade war with Beijing—that "the Chinese nation is never intimidated by any bully and always moves forward."

The Conspicuous Absence

In fact, Trump was the most notable absence from the parade. But he did not refrain from recording his thoughts through a post on Truth Social: "The big question to be answered is whether or not President Xi of China will mention the outpouring of support and blood "that the United States of America gave to China to help secure its FREEDOM from a very hostile foreign invader," he said, adding, "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un as you plot against the United States of America." ~BK_S Narendra Modi, who had shared the stage with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin just two days ago during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. In their friendly exchanges during the meeting, some read omens of a new world order independent of Washington.

After his speech, Xi reviewed 45 columns of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) stationed along Chang'an Avenue from the top of an open-top car. As chairman of the PLA Central Commission, the Chinese leader is the military's top commander. The parade then began with planes in formation performing acrobatics and helicopters drawing the number 80 and displaying banners over the square with the slogans "Justice Will Prevail," "Peace Will Prevail," and "The People Will Prevail." The event concluded with a mass release of balloons and doves from Tiananmen Square in a performance which lived up to its name: "Plaza of Heavenly Peace."

China has showcased the power of its military in a parade that featured forces from the EPA, navy, air force, rocket force, and the newly created aerospace force. In a display of its military muscle, Beijing unveiled the KJ-600, China's first carrier-based early warning aircraft, and the Dongfeng-5C nuclear-powered missile, which has a range across the globe.

The parade included AI-equipped drones, anti-ship hypersonic missiles such as the YJ-20 and YJ-21, and the DF-61, considered the Chinese military's most advanced. Also on display was the JL-3, a new third-generation, intercontinental-range ballistic missile that can be launched from submarines. Missile defense systems such as the HQ-29 and HQ-2, as well as the PHL-16 rocket launcher (known as the Chinese Himars), which could play an important role in the event of armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait, were also present.

The military might displayed by the Asian giant is a warning to Taipei. Beijing continues to defend the "one China" policy and unification with the island, which it considers a rebel province. But with the parade, in addition to demonstrating its military might worldwide, it has also reinforced its domestic patriotic discourse.

A "correct view of history"

Along with Russia, China is demanding a "new, correct view" of the history of World War II, which they consider highly biased toward Western interests. Both countries claim to be the greatest and true fighters against Nazism and Japanese militarism, and they also point out that they contributed the greatest number of victims: 27 million for the Russians and 35 million for the Chinese. In China, the war is known as the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and lasted much longer than Western records show, since the Japanese occupation began in 1937. They claim that a third of the dead among civilians and soldiers were Chinese. But they also try to hide the decisive assistance from the United States.

This anniversary has served as an opportunity for the Chinese Communist Party to try to reinterpret history. In televised debates, articles, and even films, the role of the party and its guerrillas is extolled as decisive in the outcome of the war, ignoring the fact that it was the Kuomintang army—now in Taiwan—that had the most clashes with Japanese troops.

Unlike ten years ago, when European representation at the event was significant, this time only Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico attended. European Union ambassadors also did not participate due to Putin's presence. Nor did foreign troops march, as in 2015, when a thousand soldiers from 17 countries marched alongside the Chinese.

It was the first time the world had seen Kim with Putin and Xi. The North Korean leader took the opportunity to close ranks with his Russian counterpart. In a bilateral meeting, Kim Jong-un pledged to continue helping Russia in any way it needs, as he did when providing troops to expel Ukrainian soldiers from the Kursk region. "If there is anything we can help Russia with, we will definitely do so and consider it our brotherly duty. We will do everything necessary to help Russia," Kim said at the beginning of the meeting, according to the Interfax news agency. The North Korean leader was accompanied by his daughter, who is less than fifteen years old—Pyongyang has never confirmed her age—and whom many consider his successor.