Her leader China Xi Jing, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stood by each other for the first time, shortly before the huge military parade in the Beijing On September 3, focusing on the eyes of world interest.
In this parade, which marked the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, Beijing presented a series of new military equipment – including a new nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, new superstar weapons, a new “young”
This comes at a time when Sii Jinping is seeking to promote Beijing’s power on the international stage – not only as the world’s second largest economy, but also as a counterweight to the US, as Donald Trump’s duties are shaking the global economic and political class.
Four BBC analysts evaluate the importance of the September 3rd parade – what it means, because it matters and what the spectacle says about the “new world order”.
A strong picture of China – and the world
One of the strongest images of this military parade took place before the “first canon”.
President Si welcomed Kim Jong Un with a long handshake and then went on to greet Vladimir Putin before all three walk together to attend the parade: was a pure political theater.
This was the first time all three leaders appeared publicly together and really chose the moment they liked it.
But this meeting, not just the weapons and troops in the parade, seems to have drawn the attention of Donald Trump.
Posting on Truth Social, accused Si of conspiring against the US with others.
The Chinese leader said in this speech that his country is on the right side of the story.
The nuclear missiles on display in China’s military parade now that will have the likes of “Taiwan independence” force and anti-China hawks panic. The weapons include JL-1, JL-3, DF-61 and DF-31BJ, and are for land, air and sea operations. pic.twitter.com/lPRNKJp7x2
— Patrick in China (@PatrickZhengCHN) September 3, 2025
The parade on September 3 was a choreographed spectacle of precision, power and patriotism.
Even the choir was standing in perfectly equal series as it sang “without the Communist Party, there is no modern China”.
The troops passed with perfect synchronization, and each hit on the ground echoed through the stands of 50,000 guests on Tiananmen Square.
The Parade in Beijing in honour of the 80th anniversary of the end of WW II has passed
Nuclear triad. China has shown all its missiles with nuclear warheads at once for the first time. The video shows air-, submarine-, and land-based intercontinental missiles.
The new DF-61… pic.twitter.com/1Tn2s0QtvE
— Tony (@Cyberspec1) September 3, 2025
Then came the big weapons, and the crowd reached out his hand for his mobile phones. A new ICBM, laser weapons, and even robotic dogs.
The parade was completed with low -level fighter flights to satisfy the public, before thousands of pigeons and balloons are liberated in the sky above the capital.
This show to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II was not just a look at where China has reached or how far it has arrived.
He showed where China is going: Si plays the role of a world leader ready to stand next to two other leaders who have imposed most sanctions worldwide.
And at Si’s feet, an army created to compete with the West.
China fills the gap left by the US – and what does that mean to the West
China’s geopolitical and now military power this week will hardly surprise Western leaders.
Si has long been seeking to put himself at the center of a new world – a class that will replace the worldwide systems created after World War II.
But two things will cause chills in the spine of Western diplomacy:
One is the speed at which China fills the gap left by the US withdrawal from international rules and institutions.
A world order under the leadership of China, where territorial integrity and human rights are of less value than raw power and economic growth, can prove to be awkward for many Western countries.
The way in which the hard duties of the US have pushed India, the largest democracy in the world, so quickly in China’s “warm” embrace of the world’s greatest authoritarianism will also cause concern.
A small crumb of consolation for the West is that the so -called “axis of turmoil” that appears in Beijing is not completely united – and India, in particular, not represented at the parade, is still opposed to China due to territorial and other differences.
The conclusion is that Donald Trump’s economic nationalism and subversive diplomacy give China a huge diplomatic opportunity – and is an opportunity that Si exploits open arms with his summit and parade.
A clear message to Donald Trump
All diplomacy (and images) in China this week was designed to send a clear message to the Trump government.
“Well, you want to make America great again, isn’t it? It’s America first, isn’t it? Well, we will offer an alternative to the class under the US leadership.
That is why we saw the leaders of China, Russia and India smiling together at the Sangai Cooperation Summit on Sunday and Monday. “
That is why Vladimir Putin called Si Jinping “a real friend” and the Chinese leader called his Russian counterpart “old friend” earlier this week.
And that is also the reason why Si Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un appeared together at the military parade on Wednesday.
In short: In the geopolitical universe, different forces are aligned as a counterweight to American domination.
This does not mean that all these countries and leaders are at the same wavelength. Is not. The differences remain.
But the direction of the journey is clear.
As a title at the news agency “Komsomolskaya Pravda” said this week, referring to Russia, China and India: “We will build a new world.”
The weapons worrying the West
From huge, underwater torpedoes to state -of -the -art laser weapons crashing unmanned aircraft, China’s latest military parade will now be analyzed by Pentagon experts and defense officials around the world.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has launched an extensive military modernization program that has seen him – and in some areas – surpass the United States. The ultrasonic rockets that travel at a speed of more than five times the speed of sound is an area where China is leading the world.
Dr. Sidhaarth Kaushal, a leading missile expert in the Think Tank Rusi in London, highlights the importance of the YJ-17, an ultrasonic slip system, and the YJ-19, an ultrasonic rocket.
China has also invested significantly in artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons. An example of these is AJX002: a 60 -foot (18 -meter) giant (18 -meter), submarine drone with nuclear capacity.
China’s nuclear arsenal – numbering hundreds of rockets – still lags behind that of Russia and the US, which have thousands, but is growing rapidly in size, as well as innovative ways of delivering nuclear heads.
Finally, retired Colonel Zu Bo of the University of Chinghoa emphasized that by 2049 China seeks to be militarily militarily with the US. “But then a dilemma emerges: how can you prove that you have a world -class army, without being tested in a battle?” He asked.
source: BBC