Updated Sep 2, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Xi, flanked by Putin and Kim, hosts China's largest-ever military parade

Rebecca Falconer

Russia's Vladimir Putin, wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie; China's Xi Jinping, dressed in a gray suit, and North Korea's Kim Jong-un, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and cream tie, stand together in Beijing's Tiannamen Square. — Left to right: Russia's President Vladimir Putin, China's President Xi Jinping and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un just before the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3. Photo: Alexander Kazakov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

China's leader Xi Jinping hosted Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Kim Jong-un and dozens of other leaders at the country's biggest-ever military parade on Wednesday morning local time.

The big picture: President Trump in D.C. suggested the trio may be conspiring against the U.S. during the event marking 80 years since Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II.

Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian was also expected to join the trio and 22 other leaders at the massive display that's notable for its absence of Western leaders.
The four allies have in recent months sought to forge a military, economic and political cooperation in an alliance foreign policy analysts are calling the "axis of upheaval."

State of play: The event marking 80 years since Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II features a "new generation" of military weapons, Chinese officials say.

Xi told the huge crowd that the world is "faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation," but China is "unstoppable," according to an APT translation.

What he's saying: Trump questioned whether Xi would mention the U.S. support during the war in a Truth Social post that wished him and Chinese citizens a "great" day of celebration.