Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that the world once again faces a “choice between peace and war,” speaking from Tiananmen Square in a Mao-style suit during a major military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. “China’s rise is unstoppable,” he stated, adding that “no bully can intimidate us.” His words were followed minutes later by a display of the country’s most advanced weaponry, symbols of the People’s Republic’s growing international prestige.
The Victory Day celebrations began at 9:00 a.m. under a sweltering heat, attended by heads of state and government from 26 countries. Among them were Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, both of whom are under heavy Western sanctions. President Xi personally welcomed the leaders and accompanied them onto the Tiananmen Gate rostrum to review the parade, with Putin to his right and Kim to his left—a seating arrangement that reportedly infuriated former U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned whether Xi would “mention the enormous support and blood the U.S. donated to help China free itself from a very hostile foreign invader,” while sarcastically extending “warmest regards” to Putin and Kim as they “conspire against the U.S.” He concluded by wishing Xi and the “wonderful people of China a magnificent and long-lasting celebration.”
Xi appeared to respond indirectly hours later at a reception in the Great Hall of the People: “The Chinese government and people will never forget the foreign governments and international friends who supported and helped the Chinese people in resisting aggression,” he remarked, pointedly avoiding specific names. The address reinforced a emerging narrative that amplifies China’s role in the WWII victory while diminishing those of other nations.
The military showcase featured the debut of the DF-61, a new intercontinental ballistic missile with nuclear capabilities, highlighting China’s strategic strength.
Meanwhile, Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov dismissed Trump’s “conspiracy” allegations, stating that “none of the three leaders ever considered it.” The guest list itself signaled China’s expanding influence, including Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing, Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and leaders from ex-Soviet Central Asian republics. The attendance largely mirrored that of the recent SCO meeting in Tianjin, where Xi—backed by Putin—proposed a “fairer and more just” global governance system to the Global South, countering Western “hegemonism.”
European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas voiced strong concerns from Brussels, stating, “This is not just an anti-Western gathering but a direct challenge to the international rules-based system—it is not symbolic.”
In his Tiananmen address, Xi also delivered a firmer message, urging the armed forces to “provide strategic support for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” and accelerate their transformation into a “world-class military” to protect “national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity”—phrasing widely interpreted as reaffirming the “inevitable” reunification with Taiwan. If China’s renewal is indeed unstoppable, Xi implied, the world must adapt to “live in harmony and avoid the repetition of historical tragedies.”