Xi, Putin, Kim, and Beijing's grand military spectacle

Fighter jets, tanks, and goose-stepping troops rolled past Tiananmen as Xi sought to signal strength at home and abroad

Welcome back to What’s Happening in China, your weekly China brief.

“The Chinese people’s rejuvenation cannot be blocked, and the noble goal of the peaceful development of human civilization must triumph,” Xi declared on Wednesday, surrounded by Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, and other “friendly” leaders, as he presided over a military parade in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII.

Fighter jets flew overhead as tanks, hypersonic missiles, underwater drones, and thousands of goose-stepping troops rolled down Chang’an Avenue, a display meant to project military might, fuel nationalism, and divert attention from a struggling economy.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific, Trump weighed in on social media: “May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”

Let’s jump in…