Illustration depicting Vladimir Putin (L), Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un for representation. (© India Sentinels 2025–2026)
New Delhi: China orchestrated its largest military parade in history on September 3, 2025, transforming Tiananmen Square into a stage for what analysts describe as the most significant challenge to United States-led global order since the Cold War. The event, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, featured an unprecedented gathering of leaders from nations increasingly aligned against western influence.
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, stood alongside the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in what foreign policy experts have termed the “Axis of Upheaval” – a coalition of authoritarian powers united by their opposition to American hegemony and the existing international system.
China’s military power displayed
The 70-minute parade commenced at 9am local time with an 80-gun artillery salute before more than 50,000 spectators. Xi, dressed in a grey Mao suit, reviewed thousands of troops from an open-top black limousine along the Avenue of Eternal Peace, greeting forces with “Comrades, you’ve worked hard!” The soldiers responded in unison: “We serve the people!”
China unveiled its most advanced military hardware, including the DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile with a range exceeding 20,000 kilometres, capable of striking targets globally. The display featured hypersonic missiles, including the YJ-15 designed to penetrate large naval vessels, and marked the first public demonstration of China’s complete nuclear triad – land-based missiles, submarine-launched systems, and strategic bombers.
Technological innovations on display included mobile laser air-defence systems, the HQ-29 space defence system capable of destroying foreign satellites, and the 18-metre AJX002 extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle. Perhaps most striking were the robotic “wolves” – four-legged walking robots designed for reconnaissance and combat operations, representing China’s push into autonomous warfare systems.
The ceremony concluded with the release of 80,000 peace doves and an equal number of coloured balloons, creating a dramatic finale that juxtaposed symbols of peace with the preceding display of military might.
Global leaders rally around Xi’s vision
Twenty-six heads of state attended the parade, predominantly from developing nations, with the most significant presence being the Putin-Kim-Xi triumvirate at the reviewing stand. This marked the first public appearance of these three leaders together, with North Korea’s Kim making his first participation in a Chinese military parade since 1959.
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, also attended, completing what western analysts described as the “core of the anti-western axis”. Other notable attendees included Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing; the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif; and leaders from Central Asian republics, Southeast Asian nations, and several African countries.
Significantly absent were western leaders, with only Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, and Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, representing European nations. This stark divide underscored the growing schism between the established international order and emerging alternative power structures.
Kim’s attendance proved particularly historic, arriving via his armoured train accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, in what many interpreted as succession planning signals. The young Kim’s international debut at such a significant event suggested confidence in the dynastic regime’s stability and future.
Strategic messaging
Xi’s address carried profound strategic messaging about China’s vision for global leadership. Speaking from Tiananmen Gate, he declared that “humanity is once again faced with a choice between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and mutual benefit or zero-sum games.” He positioned China as steadfastly standing “on the right side of history” while asserting that the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation cannot be blocked.”
Notably, Xi’s rhetoric avoided direct mention of the United States, despite America’s crucial role in Japan’s defeat. Instead, he emphasized China’s central role in the “world anti-fascist war” – a historical revisionism that served to legitimize China’s current global ambitions by casting the Chinese Communist Party as inheritor of wartime heroism.
The parade served multiple domestic purposes amid economic challenges and youth unemployment, rallying nationalist sentiment while reinforcing Party legitimacy. The spectacle demonstrated Xi’s firm military control, particularly significant given ongoing anti-corruption campaigns within the People’s Liberation Army.
Putin’s prominent presence offered the Russian president an opportunity to project strength despite facing International Criminal Court arrest warrants and comprehensive western sanctions. His joint appearance with Xi and Kim demonstrated Russia’s pivot toward alternative partnerships as relations with the west deteriorated following the Ukraine invasion.
During private discussions with Kim following the parade, Putin praised North Korean soldiers for their “bravery” in the Ukraine conflict, publicly acknowledging Pyongyang’s military support for Russia’s war effort – a significant diplomatic moment confirming previously discrete military cooperation.
India’s calculated absence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conspicuous absence, despite attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin just hours earlier, reflected India’s complex geopolitical positioning and strategic autonomy doctrine.
Several factors influenced Modi’s decision. Japan had actively lobbied countries to boycott the parade, describing it as anti-Japanese. Given India’s strengthening partnership with Japan – including defence, technology, and economic cooperation worth $22.85 billion in FY 2023-24 – and its commitment to the Quad alliance with Japan, Australia, and the United States, participation would have been diplomatically problematic.
The historical connection to Subhas Chandra Bose, who collaborated with Imperial Japan during World War II, added complexity. Bose’s Indian National Army fought alongside Japanese forces against the British Raj, creating nuanced historical sensitivities around celebrating Japan’s defeat.
Modi’s absence also reflected ongoing border tensions with China following the 2020 Galwan clash. His measured approach suggested that while diplomatic engagement was progressing through multilateral frameworks, fundamental issues remained unresolved.
Western reactions
Western reactions ranged from concern to outright condemnation. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas offered the strongest response, stating that the Xi-Putin-Kim gathering represented “not just anti-western optics” but a “direct challenge to the international system built on rules.” She emphasized that “Russia’s war in Ukraine is being sustained by Chinese support.”
The US president, Donald Trump, reacted [archived link] in a characteristically provocative manner. Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.” However, he later downplayed the threat, stating they “would never use their military on us – believe me, that would be the worst thing they could ever do”.
Japanese reactions were particularly pointed given the parade’s anti-Japanese overtones. Tokyo had proactively lobbied against attendance, describing the event as exhibiting “anti-Japanese sentiment.” China’s foreign ministry lodged formal protests against Japan’s diplomatic campaign, with spokesman Guo Jiakun stating Japan should “confront and reflect on its history of aggression”.
Perspectives and implications
Geopolitical experts offered nuanced assessments of the parade’s significance. Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution described the joint appearance [archived link] as “disconcerting” but cautioned it likely represented “a symbolic peak for their partnership rather than a sign of deeper multilateral cooperation.”
Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute emphasized [archived link] that Putin and Kim’s attendance highlighted “China’s status as the foremost authoritarian power globally.” He noted increased attendance from Central Asian, West Asian, and Southeast Asian leaders compared to previous parades, reflecting Beijing’s diplomatic advances.
Jeremy Chan of the Eurasia Group observed [archived link] that the “foreign delegations present will reflect shifting dynamics in Chinese influence, with a noticeable absence of western leaders”. He interpreted the attendance patterns as indicating China's growing regional influence whilst highlighting western diplomatic isolation of the event.
Military analysts focused on weapons capabilities, with James Char of Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies noting [archived link] that the “comprehensive range of new weapons could complicate the plans of the United States and its allies in any conflict in East Asia”.
The concept of an “Axis of Upheaval” gained prominence in analytical discourse [archived link], described by Center for a New American Security experts as “a collection of dissatisfied states converging on a shared purpose of overturning the principles, rules, and institutions that underlie the prevailing international system.”
However, analysts noted limitations of this cooperation, emphasizing relationships remain primarily bilateral rather than genuinely multilateral. The coalition appears united more by shared grievances against western dominance than by coherent ideological vision or strategic coordination.
Watershed moment
The Victory Day parade represented more than military pageantry – it symbolized a fundamental challenge to the post-World War II international order. Xi’s ability to convene leaders representing billions of people while western nations remained absent demonstrated China’s growing diplomatic influence and the emergence of alternative power centres.
The event highlighted crystallization of what some analysts term a loose coalition united primarily by opposition to western dominance. While cooperation among these nations remains largely bilateral, their convergence around common grievances against the existing international system represents a significant geopolitical development.
For the west, the Beijing gathering served as a stark reminder of isolation strategies’ limitations. Despite comprehensive sanctions and diplomatic pressure, China successfully convened major global leaders, demonstrating ineffectiveness of western attempts to isolate targeted regimes.
The parade ultimately marked a watershed moment in evolving global power dynamics, signalling the emergence of a confident China willing to openly challenge western hegemony while providing alternative leadership for the developing world. Whether this coalition can transcend symbolic unity to achieve substantive cooperation remains the defining question for international relations in the coming decade.
Beijing’s diplomatic victory in projecting power, unity, and historical legitimacy while western nations remained sidelined demonstrated Xi’s strategic vision of a multipolar world order with China at its centre. The long-term implications of this gathering will likely shape global politics for years to come, marking September 3, 2025, as “one of those key moments” in the reconfiguration of international power structures.
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