Overview

• China staged a 70‑minute procession in Tiananmen Square to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender, hosting roughly 50,000 spectators and about two dozen mostly non‑Western leaders.
• The parade unveiled advanced hardware including new hypersonic and nuclear‑capable ICBMs such as the DF‑5C, DF‑26D and DF‑61, laser systems, AI‑enabled autonomous weapons, underwater drones and a twin‑seat J‑20S stealth fighter shown in a static display.
• Xi inspected troops, called for accelerating PLA modernization into a “world‑class military,” and emphasized that China is “never intimidated by any bullies” while framing the buildup as a stand for peace.
• Trump posted that Xi, Putin and Kim were “conspiring against the United States,” a claim a Kremlin aide described as ironic, even as Trump also said the parade was not a challenge to U.S. power.
• The joint appearance capped a week of choreography that included an SCO summit in Tianjin, underscoring China’s closer ties with Russia and North Korea and the conspicuous absence of major Western wartime allies.