Xi Jinping Stages Power Play With Putin and Kim at Beijing Parade
As cannon fire rang out over Tiananmen Square, the defining moment of the day wasn’t the soldiers marching or the weaponry on display. It was the sight of China’s President Xi Jinping greeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un with a prolonged handshake, followed by Russia’s Vladimir Putin, before seating himself between the two heavily sanctioned leaders. The spectacle, carefully staged, was more about politics than pageantry. US President Donald Trump appeared rattled, posting on Truth Social to accuse Xi, Kim and Putin of conspiring against America just as the parade began. Analysts suggest this may have been exactly the provocation Xi intended. By placing Putin on his right and Kim on his left, Xi projected an image of an eastern-led alliance challenging the US-dominated world order. The symbolism went beyond military strength. It underscored China’s growing influence and Xi’s ambition […]