China’s leader Xi Jinping hosted Russia’sVladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and dozens of other leaders at the country’s biggest-ever military parade on Wednesday morning local time.
The big picture: President Trump in D.C. suggested the trio may be conspiring against the U.S. during the event marking 80 years since Japan’s formal surrender that ended World War II.
- Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian was also expected to join the trio and 22 other leaders at the massive display that’s notable for its absence of Western leaders.
- The four allies have in recent months sought to forge a military, economic and political cooperation in an alliance foreign policy analysts are calling the “axis of upheaval.”
State of play: The event marking 80 years since Japan’s formal surrender that ended World War II features a “new generation” of military weapons, Chinese officials say.
- Xi told the huge crowd that the world is “faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation,” but China is “unstoppable,” according to an APT translation.
What he’s saying: President Trump questioned whether Xi would mention the U.S. support during the war in a Truth Social post that wished him and Chinese citizens a “great” day of celebration.