Former Australian Premiers Attend Beijing Military Parade with Global Leaders

China held a large military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, attended by leaders including President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Former Australian premiers Daniel Andrews and Bob Carr attended the parade in a personal capacity, drawing criticism from former Labor colleagues and foreign policy experts who warned their presence might be used by China to legitimize its narrative, especially amid tensions with Taiwan, which accused China of distorting wartime history to bolster territorial claims. Australian officials, including the ambassador, did not attend, opting instead to engage with the business community in China, while domestic political figures debated the implications of their attendance given strained US-Australia relations under President Donald Trump, who commented on the parade with both historical recognition and pointed remarks about Xi and Putin conspiring against the US. The event highlighted geopolitical complexities, with China's effort to emphasize its role in Japan's defeat contrasted against Taiwan's assertions of its distinct historical and democratic identity. The attendance of Andrews and Carr, both with histories of fostering China ties, was seen as potentially amplifying China's propaganda aims, amid a global audience wary of the parade's symbolism.