Xi Hosts Largest Military Parade with Over 20 World Leaders in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting the country's largest-ever military parade on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, aiming to showcase China's military power and assert its role in shaping a post-U.S. global order. The event will feature over 20 world leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, highlighting China's growing diplomatic influence and its alignment with other authoritarian states. The parade, held in Beijing and preceded by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, underscores Beijing's efforts to present itself as a pillar of stability and a leader of a new anti-Western world order amid perceived U.S. retreat under President Donald Trump's policies. The unprecedented joint appearance of Xi alongside Putin and Kim at the parade symbolizes an “Axis of Upheaval” challenging Western dominance. Leaders attending reflect a mix of regional diplomacy successes and shifting alliances, with only a few Western leaders like Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic present, both critical of sanctions on Russia. The parade and summit illustrate Xi’s strategic use of history, diplomacy, and military might to reshape global power dynamics in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.