# China stages military parade in Beijing as Xi signals defiance and global reach
China marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender with a high-profile military parade in Beijing, placing leader Xi Jinping at the center of a choreographed display of power that drew Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other foreign guests.
The parade on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, was framed by Beijing as a commemoration of the war’s end and as a tribute to Chinese veterans. It was also unmistakably a demonstration of China’s military modernization and political confidence. The event featured aerial and underwater drones, hypersonic missiles, fighter jets, bombers and other hardware presented in front of Tiananmen Gate as troops marched in formation along Chang’an Avenue.
Xi used the occasion to present China as a force for stability in a turbulent world. In remarks before and during the parade, he said humanity must choose peace over war and dialogue over confrontation, while also warning that China’s rejuvenation could not be blocked. He paid tribute to veterans and linked the military’s mission to safeguarding sovereignty and unification, a phrase that in China’s political language includes Taiwan.
The guest list underscored the parade’s diplomatic dimension. The AP account said leaders from about two dozen countries attended, with Putin and Kim walking alongside Xi before they stopped to shake hands with five World War II veterans, some more than 100 years old. The sight of the three leaders together drew caution in Washington and criticism from Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who said their appearance was intimidating to smaller states and a challenge to international law.
The United States also had a sharper political response. As the parade unfolded, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media questioning whether Xi would recognize Americans who fought in the war and sending a pointed message to Putin and Kim about conspiring against the United States. Putin later responded that Trump had a sense of humor and said no one he met in China had expressed negative judgments about the current U.S. administration.
The parade’s symbolism extended beyond the hardware. China’s official narrative tied the ceremony to wartime sacrifice and Communist Party legitimacy, emphasizing the country’s role as a major front in the conflict and the millions who died during Japan’s invasion. At the same time, the scale of the event and the attention given to new systems such as the DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missile and the AJX002 underwater drone signaled that Beijing wanted the world to see not only memory but capability.
