Beijing’s Big Flex: Xi, Putin and Kim share the stage as China rolls out hypersonics on WWII anniversary

China marked 80 years since the end of World War II with a no-subtlety-here military parade through Tiananmen Square — part commemoration, part power projection. Xi Jinping presided from Tiananmen Gate, flanked by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, as more than 10,000 troops, missiles, drones and warplanes thundered past.

Before the show, Xi saluted wartime veterans and sketched a familiar theme: China won’t be pushed around.

“The Chinese people are not afraid of violence and are self-reliant and strong,” he said, casting Beijing as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world and vowing the country’s “rejuvenation cannot be blocked.”

The 90-minute display doubled as an unveiling. Headliners included hypersonic anti-ship missiles (YJ-17/19/20), the new DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missile, air-defense lasers, “loyal wingman” combat drones, and the AJX002 extra-large undersea drone — a torpedo-length submersible built for covert scouting and blockade missions. Fighter jets and bombers traced colored plumes overhead; 26 helicopters formed a giant “80.” It all opened with an 80-gun salute.

Washington watched warily. As the parade got underway, President Donald Trump fired off a sarcastic post asking Xi to “give my warmest regards” to Putin and Kim “as you conspire against the United States.” Putin brushed it off as humor and later said no one in Beijing had knocked the US during talks. He also invited Kim to visit Russia after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

The lineup of guests — from Putin and Kim to leaders across Central and Southeast Asia — underscored Beijing’s bid to rally an alternative power bloc while showcasing a People’s Liberation Army that now leans hard into unmanned systems and anti-ship strike packages designed to complicate US operations in the western Pacific. Analysts noted the message for Taiwan was unmistakable: China is building the kit to keep American carriers at bay.

Xi’s troop review, conducted from a black limousine with the sunroof popped and slogans volleyed back — “We serve the people!” — came with a reminder that the PLA’s job is to “safeguard sovereignty and unification,” Beijing’s code for its claim over Taiwan. Across the strait, President William Lai countered: Taiwan marks peace “not with the barrel of a gun,” but with freedom and democracy.

The day ended with a gala at the Great Hall of the People — patriotic medleys, veterans honored, and a voice-of-God coda urging unity behind Xi. The spectacle delivered what it intended: a made-in-China arsenal, a crowded VIP stand, and a clear broadcast to rivals that Beijing’s military modernization is not slowing down.

With input from the Associated Press, CNN, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.