China’s Xi’s parade sends defiant signal amid rising global tensions
In what appeared to be a dramatic display of military might and geopolitical symbolism, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that “no one on earth will raise a finger at our country, threaten it, or violate it,” as China marked 80 years since the end of World War II with a high-profile parade in Beijing. The […]
In what appeared to be a dramatic display of military might and geopolitical symbolism, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that “no one on earth will raise a finger at our country, threaten it, or violate it,” as China marked 80 years since the end of World War II with a high-profile parade in Beijing.
The event, held in Tiananmen Square, showcased China’s strategic arsenal, including nuclear-tipped missiles, stealth fighters, ballistic tanks, and glider-shaped warplanes, underscoring the country’s growing ambition to rival Western military powers.
Large warships capable of diving up to 20 meters added to the spectacle, which analysts say was as much about deterrence as it was about national pride.
Yet, it was not just the weaponry that drew global attention. Xi’s seating arrangement, flanked by North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, sent a clear message of defiance to the West.
- Man in court for allegedly stealing goats in Ekiti
- Abuja community plunged into darkness over alleged assault on AEDC officials
The image of the three leaders together, described by observers as “sheer political theatre,” appeared to provoke a swift reaction from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused them of “conspiring against America” in a sharply-worded post on Truth Social.
Security experts at the Pentagon and beyond are closely monitoring the implications of China’s military modernization, especially as tensions rise in the Asia-Pacific region.
The parade, which included over 20 foreign heads of state, also signaled Xi’s intent to reposition China as a global leader, with a military built to challenge the existing world order.
Though officially commemorating a historic victory, Wednesday’s event was a bold statement about China’s future, and Xi’s determination to lead it there.
Xi’s defiant message rooted in history, strategic realities – Ambassador Sarki
A senior Nigerian diplomat has provided a historical and strategic analysis of President Xi’s remarks arguing that it’s a reflection of China’s historical past.
Speaking to Daily Trust last night, Ambassador Usman Sarki, former Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations and currently a senior analyst on international affairs, said President Xi’s remarks must be understood in the context of China’s traumatic past and its current geopolitical posture.
“President Xi Jinping made this declaration while having in mind the catastrophic period that China went through between 1937 and 1945, when it experienced one of the most brutal episodes in human history,” Sarki said. “Japan attacked China and occupied vast territories of the country and in the process, exterminated millions of its civilians.”
He recalled the horrors of the Nanking Massacre, noting that “between 200,000 and 350,000 Chinese civilians were massacred by the Imperial Japanese Army. Cases of rape, violation of human rights, looting and destruction cannot be quantified.”
According to him, “China lost 20 million people owing to mass murders, famine, disease and other war-induced calamities,” and “cities like Chongqing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhan and countless villages and hamlets were heavily damaged or entirely destroyed.”
Sarki argued that Xi’s statement was both a warning and a reflection of China’s historical suffering. “When President Xi asserts that ‘no one on earth will raise a finger at our country,’ he was referring to China’s past and also to warn other countries about China’s readiness to defend itself against any aggressive behavior by others.”
He pointed to current strategic tensions, saying, “China is facing encirclement by the United States with its military bases strung across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. The strategic arrangement entered into by the US, UK and Australia in the form of AUKUS was directly aimed at the curtailment of Chinese influence in the region.”
Sarki added that “US refusal to recognise China’s sovereignty over Taiwan and continued military presence in the Taiwan Straits is a fact that China sees as a threat.”
Despite these tensions, he emphasized China’s longstanding commitment to peaceful coexistence. “China still follows the cardinal principles of foreign policy… Premier Zhou Enlai in 1954 proclaimed the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence… mutual respect, non-aggression, non-interference, equality and cooperation, and peaceful co-existence.”
He noted that China’s invitation of leaders from Russia, India, Iran, and North Korea was consistent with its diplomatic posture. “President Xi declared that the world needed a new Global Governance Initiative… to replace the current hegemonic order… That call has resonated well among those heads of state and government.”
Sarki also highlighted China’s military doctrine, “China has repeatedly given assurances… Its military posture is consistent with its doctrine for the ‘New Era’ unveiled in 2019… The central feature of the doctrine is peaceful intentions… But China will be too naive and irresponsible to fold its hands and allow threats against it to grow.”
“It is this threat perception that is driving China’s modernization and scaling up of its military arsenal and strategic forces to counter any hostile intentions.”