Chinese President Xi Jinping stood between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a massive military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of diplomatic displays by the Chinese leader and his allies against the West.

In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook hands and spoke to the two leaders as they walked together on the red carpet at Tiananmen Square, with Putin walking to Xi's right and Kim to his left.

The ceremony, which officially commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, provided an opportunity for Xi to showcase China's military might and bring together friendly leaders in the hope of sending a message to the rest of the world.

At the start of the presentation, Xi warned that the world still"faces a choice between peace and war," but stressed that China is "unstoppable."

The new DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile, with a range of 20,000 kilometers, was among the Chinese equipment on display.

The event, every detail of which was carefully planned in advance, was met with a sarcastic reaction from US President Donald Trump, who accused the three leaders of conspiring against the United States.

“Please extend my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un as you plot against the United States,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Asked about Trump's comment, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian state television that Trump's statement was intended to be"sarcastic."

Military equipment display

During the 90-minute parade, Xi inspected the assembled troops and weapons through the sunroof of a limousine on Beijing's Chang'an Avenue before returning to join his guests, who sat beneath a giant portrait of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square, at the entrance to the Forbidden City, a historic landmark in the capital.

A massive Chinese convoy of military vehicles and heavy weapons passed the leaders, while state media broadcasts showed thousands of uniformed men and women marching in close ranks, while others jumped in and out of vehicles on the spot.

In addition to intercontinental ballistic missiles, the weapons on display included new underwater drones and hypersonic missiles.

Beijing residents took to the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of dozens of fighter jets and helicopters as they flew through the sky, forming the number “80.”

Millions of Chinese were killed in the long conflict with Imperial Japan in the 1930s and 1940s, which became part of World War II after Tokyo's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

China's Xinhua News Agency confirmed that"China presented its strategic land, sea, and air forces for the first time in the form of a nuclear triad during the military parade marking Victory Day on Wednesday."

For the first time, the Jingli-1 air-launched missile, the Gulang-3 submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-61 land-based intercontinental missile, and the Dongfeng-31 land-based intercontinental missile are all on display at one event.

Busy week

All eyes were on how the trio of Xi, Putin, and Kim, who rarely leaves North Korea, interacted with each other. However, state media broadcasts offered only rare footage of the three together, and journalists were asked to keep their distance and not photograph the leaders.

The event was the culmination of a busy week for Xi, who hosted a group of Eurasian leaders at a summit aimed at putting China at the forefront of regional relations.

The club of ten countries that make up the Shanghai Cooperation Organization describes itself as a regional cooperation that is far removed from the Western model and seeks to be an alternative to traditional alliances.

During the summit, Xi denounced the"bullying" of some countries, implicitly referring to the United States, while Putin defended Russia's invasion of Ukraine, blaming the West for the outbreak of war.

Many of the Tianjin summit guests, including Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and several other leaders, joined Xi for the Beijing parade; however, no prominent Western figures were among the two dozen world leaders in attendance.

political influence

Security measures were tightened around Beijing, with roads closed and military personnel deployed on bridges and streets, while barriers were erected along the capital's wide avenues.

China marketed the parade as an expression of unity; however, it was the first time Kim had been seen at the event with Xi and Putin, his second publicly announced trip abroad in six years.

Kim was accompanied on the trip by his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who was photographed arriving at a Beijing train station, and his sister Kim Yo Jong, who was photographed by AFP during lunch on Wednesday.

Putin and Kim held talks after the military parade, during which the Russian president thanked Kim for sending North Korean soldiers to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.

Kim's visit"shows North Koreans and the world that he has powerful Russian and Chinese friends who treat him with respect," said Lam Ping Er, a researcher at the National University of Singapore's East Asia Institute.

The same researcher added: “China is also demonstrating that it has the political influence and ability to bring Putin and Kim Jong Un together.”