China Boasts About Military Expo - Xi, Putin, and Kim in Unified Front

Headline: China Commemorates 80th Anniversary of End of World War II with Military Parade

Subhead: Kim Jong Un's first official trip outside North Korea, a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and the display of new weapons systems were highlights of the event.

On September 3rd, China celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a grand military parade in Beijing, titled the "Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression." The parade showcased new weapons systems, including laser cannons, combat robots, underwater drones, and hypersonic and supersonic missiles, demonstrating China's military might.

Several countries publicly expressed support for the event but did not attend, such as many Western allied victors of World War II. Only China, Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Slovakia were physically present. The absence of the People's Republic of China in 1945 remains a reason for criticism of Beijing's portrayal of the war era, especially in Taiwan.

Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, and Xi Jinping, the state and party leader of China, reviewed the parade, joined by Vladimir Putin, the Russian President. After the parade, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin held a meeting, with Putin thanking North Korea for its soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in the liberation of the western Russian region of Kursk from Ukrainian forces.

Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, and daughter accompanied him on the trip to Beijing, marking the first officially known trip outside North Korea for the North Korean leader's daughter.

The parade serves mainly external political purposes, according to Claus Soong of the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), being a platform to reinterpret the historical memory of World War II. Beijing aims to demonstrate that it is now strong enough to present its own view of history and world order through the parade.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump accused Xi of conspiracy against the US on his social media platform, a claim that the Kremlin denied. Trump also expressed hope that the sacrifices made by Americans during World War II would be honored.

Putin has been in China since the weekend, where he held hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called with Xi Jinping for a new world order. The military parade in Beijing was not without controversy, but it undeniably marked a significant moment in China's history and its growing influence on the global stage.