Dozens of world leaders join China’s military parade

The leaders of 26 countries and other foreign representatives have joined Chinese President Xi Jinping to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a military parade in the Chinese capital, in a show of solidarity among nations friendly to Beijing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who made a rare foreign trip to attend, flanked Xi on Wednesday as they climbed to the viewing platform overlooking Tiananmen Square and watched the display of military hardware and marching troops.

Observers say the joint appearance was a show of unity against the United States.

Leaders from the US, western Europe, Japan and India were not present at the event, and countries such as South Korea and Singapore sent lower-level officials.

But Xi’s guest list showed Beijing’s growing influence in the global south and other emerging economies.

Putin and Kim, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, are considered US adversaries.

Russia’s close ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, walked next to Kim after taking group pictures with other leaders.

Putin and Kim chatted animatedly with Xi as they climbed up the stairs to the viewing platform.

Asia accounted for the majority of national leaders at the event.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who initially cancelled his trip to China because of protests at home, made it to Beijing and took part in the event with his counterparts in Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith also joined the event.

Also attending from South Asia were Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

From Central Asia came Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedow.

Mongolia’s President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa also attended.

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Republic of Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso were also on the guest list.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was the only leader from the Americas to attend.

Other guests were Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The guest list had heavy overlap with the annual summit of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation days earlier, but there were some notable departures before the parade, including representatives from India and Turkey.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted warm words about meetings with Xi and Putin on social media platform X.

He posted a picture of himself and Putin travelling together, saying “conversations with him are always insightful”, and wrote that he had a “fruitful meeting” with Xi.

Few European leaders attended the parade.

Serbia sent Russia-friendly President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovakia sent Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Other former foreign leaders were also on the guest list, including former New Zealand prime ministers Helen Clark and John Key, as well as Daniel Andrews, the former premier of the Australian state of Victoria.