The 2025 Beijing Victory Day Parade
On 3 September 2025 China marked the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japan with a commemoration and military parade in Tiananmen Square. Xi Jinping said humanity again faced "a choice between peace and war, dialogue and confrontation", and 45 formations paraded, most of their equipment shown for the first time, according to officials. Sixty-one foreign leaders and dignitaries attended, and Xi, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un appeared together in public for the first time, while most Western leaders stayed away. US President Donald Trump wrote that the three were conspiring against the United States, which the Kremlin denied.
The Commemoration and Parade
On the morning of 3 September 2025 a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, with a military parade. Li Qiang presided, and 61 foreign heads of state and government, high-level representatives, heads of international organisations and former dignitaries attended. At 8:35 Xi Jinping ascended the Tiananmen rostrum with the heads of the foreign delegations.
In his speech Xi said the purpose of the commemoration was to remember history, honour the martyrs, cherish peace and create the future, adding: "Today humanity again faces a choice between peace and war, dialogue and confrontation, win-win and zero-sum." He then reviewed the troops from a vehicle. Forty-five formations took part, and officials said most of the weapons and equipment were shown for the first time; the equipment was organised into land combat, maritime combat, air and missile defence, information operations, unmanned combat, logistics support and strategic strike groups, and Reuters reported it included hypersonic missiles, underwater drones and an armed "robot wolf". The ceremony lasted 1 hour and 26 minutes, ending at 10:26.
The Foreign Leaders
Foreign leaders attending included Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as the leaders of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus and others. Xi sat between Putin and Kim in the viewing stand — according to Reuters, the first time the three had appeared together in public. Western leaders largely stayed away; the only two who attended were Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had attended a summit in China earlier that week, did not stay for the parade.
Reactions
While the parade was under way US President Donald Trump wrote on social media, wishing Xi and the Chinese people a great day of celebration and adding: "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America." Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov replied that there were "no conspiracies at all" and that "none of these three leaders have even entertained such thoughts".
Gallery
Narrative Comparison
| Source | Narrative |
|---|---|
| Chinese official position (Xi Jinping's speech, Xinhua) | The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance and the World Anti-Fascist War is meant to remember history, honour the martyrs, cherish peace and create the future. The Chinese nation is a great nation that does not fear brute force, and the PLA has always been a heroic force fully trusted by the Party and the people. Today humanity again faces a choice between peace and war, dialogue and confrontation, win-win and zero-sum; the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable and the noble cause of peace and development will prevail. The parade commemorated this great day together with the people of the world. |
| President Trump's social media post (3 September 2025) | May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America. |
| Overseas analysis (Council on Foreign Relations; Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine, 2025) | The Council on Foreign Relations noted in its brief that day that some leaders who attended the preceding summit, such as India's Narendra Modi, did not stay for the parade, suggesting different degrees of public alignment with Beijing, and that the only Western leaders present were Slovakia's Robert Fico and Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić. Quoting a report by CFR's Robert D. Blackwill and CNAS's Richard Fontaine, it described the China-Russia relationship as continuing to deepen, with occasional disagreements dwarfed by their strategic cooperation — "a formidable partnership bordering on alliance", bound together by resistance to what they see as a US-led, anachronistic international order. |
Key Milestones
- Commemoration and parade
The 80th-anniversary commemoration and parade were held in Tiananmen Square with 45 formations and 61 foreign leaders and dignitaries.
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Chronicles of Modern China. (2026, November 3). The 2025 Beijing Victory Day Parade. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://www.cmcarchive.org/events/victory-day-parade-2025
“The 2025 Beijing Victory Day Parade.” Chronicles of Modern China. Last modified November 3, 2026. Accessed November 3, 2026. https://www.cmcarchive.org/events/victory-day-parade-2025.
Chronicles of Modern China. The 2025 Beijing Victory Day Parade[EB/OL]. (2026-11-03)[2026-11-03]. https://www.cmcarchive.org/events/victory-day-parade-2025.