For the last three days, Xi Jinping has played host in one of China’s busiest port cities, welcoming leaders from across Asia and the Middle East for a carefully choreographed summit designed to showcase his vision of a new world order.

Now, the Chinese leader is set to exhibit a very different image with an ostentatious show of military might.

On Wednesday he will commandeer Beijing’s main artery – the Avenue of Eternal Peace – for a major military parade showing off the country’s cutting-edge hypersonic weapons, nuclear-capable missiles, and undersea drones, alongside thousands of goose-stepping soldiers.

Xi’s message with his multi-day exercise of soft and hard power, is clear: China is a force that wants to reset global rules – and it’s not afraid to challenge those of the West.

Hitting that message home is Xi’s guest list for the gathering, a cohort of more than two dozen China-friendly world leaders topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which also includes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

That also makes the first time that the leaders of a quartet of nations Washington strategists warn are converging to form an anti-American “axis of upheaval” will be together in one event.

For the Western leaders desperately trying to ramp up pressure on Putin to end his war in Ukraine, those optics will appear stark.

Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are seen as an emerging anti-American axis by some observers in the West precisely because Tehran and Pyongyang have fed Moscow weapons and – in the case of Pyongyang – troops, while China has aided its war-torn economy and industry.

As Xi gives them seats by his side on a symbolic day for China, he is showing himself as the one global heavyweight who could stand a real chance to pressure Putin to end his war – and that he’s not going to use that pull to play by the West’s rules.

For Xi, China’s longest-serving and most powerful leader in decades, the symbolism – and its timing – will be purposeful.

Under President Donald Trump, the US is shaking up its alliances and causing economic pain for countries around the world, including among friends and allies, with his global trade war. Xi sees an opportune moment to make what might be his most dramatic showing yet of his challenge to a world based on Western rules and sensibilities.

Already the optics are paying off for the Chinese leader.

Glimpses of the leaders’ activities in recent days have shown a powerful camaraderie among those gathered, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin greeting Xi animatedly, Modi embracing Putin, and leaders reaching out to greet the Russian leader as he walked shoulder to shoulder with Xi.

These moments are arguably as powerful outcomes as the statements made, signaling a convergence of leaders without the West.

“What Xi is trying to convey is certainty about China’s role in international affairs. This is clearly signaling to people throughout the region that China has arrived as a great power and it’s not going anywhere,” said Jonathan Czin, the Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings.

“If you’re a US ally or partner, sitting in a capital somewhere in the region, and you have real doubts about whether or not you can rely on the United States as a partner, that’s an uncomfortable split screen to be viewing,” he added.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/02/china/ch...dwbWYmrVTSeDgsg

Support Pres Xi

america cannot even afford to pay their wumaos anymore only left the low paid taiwanese wumao

let them fight

North Korea also got nice parade
When war really start, the one with stronger economy win. That's how Japan lose to US in Pacific, before US join the war, Japan had 11 aircraft carrier and US only got 7. But when the war end, the total fleet Japan had is 18 and US is 105.

This post has been edited by ragk: Sep 2 2025, 05:39 PM

yeh plus US has the geographical advantage of nobody can touch their production base at all, so they can crank out full industrial power

It is about manufacturing capability

Germany GDP is weaker than denmark but won
Similarly, Germany GDP is stronger USSR but lost

Similarly, North Korea plus China GDP is much weaker than USA plus allied. But is fight to stalemate as China have plenty of human capital to expense

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334256...capita-country/

I think better than usa parade. No to recently usa punya parade insisted by trump on his birthday turn out to be a so freaking lousy.

What do we expect to see this OCT in Malaysia?

3 big planes with high security at KLIA
3 Aircraft Carrier at port klang?
3 big motorcades on the road to putrajaya?
Full lockdown of putrajaya?

If Xi meeting Trump in KL, only 3 aircraft carriers?

Putin also coming. so 3

Looking forward to watch CCP robot armies march.

Support china take over my job and salary

Usa actually no need parade to show might because they actually use their military

Not just show only

Anti american axis of upheaval...lol anglo saxons protestants really have a way in putting themselves as the centre of the universe....it hasn't occured to them that alot of these nations just want to be left alone, let alone challenge and nag the US to behave a certain way. It's not anti anything, it's more like I don't want to play ball with you, I want to play another game with another type of ball with someone else.

Just like how some bahalol actually said rendang should be crispy...this sort of BS neo imperialism, i'm white and from the west, I know best and you should listen to me

This post has been edited by feynman: Sep 3 2025, 12:19 AM

respect russia and allies to stand up to western imperialist and their puppets

Beijing military parade is a show of military might as a deterrence to the US. the US military will pay a closer watch on the parade. for example , Chinese unmanned submarines armed with torpedoes are cheap to manufacture . china can make hundreds of them easily if necessary and stay undetected in south china sea.

This post has been edited by issac99289928: Sep 3 2025, 06:05 AM

The sweet nectar of salty American tears...😂😂😂

this parade is mainly more of a showcase of the asian front which fought the japanese, too long have the west narrative been shared that they were the only one fighting Japan, the Asians fought them hard too, you now even see Indonesian President still try to make it for the parade.