Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled down Beijing's Avenue of Eternal Peace in a black limousine at the climax of a dramatic week for the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. Just two days after hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, Xi displayed China's military might in a massive parade marking 80 years since victory over Japan and the end of World War II.
Two figures stood out among the guests. When Xi joined them on the balcony overlooking thousands of troops marching with robotic precision, it was the first time the three had been photographed together in one place: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The trio now embodies the sharpest opposition to the American-led world order, at a time when questions are mounting over whether the White House itself remains committed to it.
"Military parades are always about messaging," said Prof. Yoram Evron of Bar-Ilan University's Asian Studies Department. "The aim is to send a strong message, both domestically and abroad." Indeed, Chinese state media turned the event into the story of the day, with every segment reminding viewers that "Xi is the supreme commander of the army."
According to Evron, the message was twofold: to show the Chinese people their country's rise as a great power and Xi's personal authority, while projecting China's global standing, advanced weapons and industrial strength outward. "China never misses such milestones," he said. "It always extracts the maximum benefit from them."
Alongside Putin and Kim, a long list of leaders stood on the same balcony: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. From Europe came Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, joined by dozens of leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Noticeably absent were Western leaders and China's immediate neighbors aligned with them – Japan, South Korea and Taiwan – as well as countries often seen as close to Beijing, including Brazil and South Africa.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had attended the summit earlier in the week, stayed away from the parade, a predictable move given the recurring border clashes between India and China that fuel their historic rivalry.
US President Donald Trump, who had staged a smaller military parade just three months earlier, admitted he stayed up late in Washington to watch the event live, calling it "a beautiful ceremony. I thought it was very very impressive. But I understood the reason they were doing it. They were hoping I was watching, and I was watching." The parade marked Japan's defeat in World War II, and Trump voiced frustration that America's role was not acknowledged. "Xi is my friend, but I thought the US should have been mentioned in the speech, since we helped China."
On Twitter earlier, his tone had been harsher, questioning whether Xi would mention the "American blood spilled for China" and accusing Xi, Putin and Kim of "plotting against the United States."
Since coming to power in 2013, Xi has consolidated extraordinary authority. In 2023, he began his third presidential term after scrapping the two-term limit, concentrating power in his hands and reviving a cult of personality not seen in decades. In the military, he has repeatedly purged top defense officials and senior officers under the banner of an "anti-corruption" campaign.
"These are not routine purges," Evron explained. "This is unprecedented in scale and rank – often targeting figures Xi himself had appointed not long before."
The deadline
For years, one date has loomed over discussions of China's military: 2027. Western intelligence assessments say Xi has ordered the People's Liberation Army to be ready by then to invade Taiwan – exactly 100 years after the PLA's founding. The island, which has functioned as an independent state with a democratic government and thriving economy, has been viewed by Beijing as a "renegade province" since 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang fled there after losing the civil war to Mao.
Along with the synchronized ranks of troops in Beijing, China's military showcased its full nuclear triad for the first time – land, sea and air-launched nuclear missiles. The parade also featured hypersonic anti-ship missiles, unmanned submarines, fifth-generation stealth fighter jets, high-powered laser weapons and even quadruped robots designed to support ground forces.
Still, most of these weapons remain untested in real combat despite their impressive scale and advanced technology.
Evron noted that the technological highlight was the display of China's aviation breakthroughs – an industry long considered a weakness compared to the US and Russia. "This was the first large-scale public showing of fifth-generation fighter models," he said. "China's missile industry has always been advanced, but aviation was its weak spot. Now it shows it has closed the gap."
The parade unveiled fighters like the J-35A and J-20S. Reports claim the latter can control drones – a capability usually associated with sixth-generation aircraft. China also presented carrier-based aircraft under development.
Unmanned systems were another major feature. In the air, the CH-9 drone was displayed, capable of flying 40 hours at 36,000 feet (11,000 meters) in competition with American models. At sea, the HSU100 unmanned submarine was unveiled, alongside an array of other drones for air, sea and land missions.
China's maritime arena is central to its combat scenarios. New YJ-series cruise missiles were shown, some reportedly hypersonic and dubbed "carrier-killers" after Chinese media released footage of them being tested against mock American carriers. Also presented was the LY-1, a laser system that Chinese reports claim can intercept missiles – and even ships – at minimal cost.
Before reviewing the troops, Xi delivered a speech to more than 50,000 spectators, sending a pointed message across the Pacific. "Humanity once again faces a choice between peace and war, dialogue and confrontation, mutual benefit or zero-sum," Xi declared, adding that "the Chinese people firmly stand on the right side of history." With a thinly veiled reference to the US and its allies, Xi said China was a great nation that would "never be intimidated by bullies" and warned that China was "unstoppable."
As in every parade, the most striking sight was the giant missiles rolling through the avenue. For the first time, China's nuclear triad was displayed together, including the Dongfeng-61, described as its most advanced ballistic missile, and the Dongfeng-C5, which Beijing claims can strike anywhere on Earth with multiple warheads.
The display ended with 80,000 white doves and 80,000 balloons released into the Beijing sky. Like the US, China now demands "peace through strength." But with frequent saber-rattling in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, and the sweeping transformation of China's military now laid bare before the world, many are left wondering just how stable that peace will be.
