Inside China's Show of Force: Hypersonic Missiles, Drones & Allies

Описание: Chinese President Xi Jinping projected defiance at a once-a-decade military parade, showcasing the nation's growing firepower and diplomatic influence alongside his closest international allies. The Chinese leader stood flanked by Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Beijing's Tiananmen Gate, watching over the vast square as formations of goose-stepping soldiers marched in unison and a new generation of tanks and missile launchers rumbled past.

While Xi's speech did not name any present-day rivals, as the pageantry around Tiananmen Square unfolded, Donald Trump sent a pointed message on his Truth Social platform, accusing the three leaders of working against the US. Bloomberg Opinion columnist Marc Champion joined Stephen Carroll and Valerie Tytel to discuss.

President Xi Jinping hosted the leaders of North Korea and Russia in Beijing for the first time this week, marking a historic show of united defiance against the US-led world order. 
China’s commander-in-chief was flanked by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as he approached Beijing’s Tiananmen Gate at a vast military parade on Wednesday, in his first-ever appearance with both men. Not since the Cold War have leaders from all three nations stepped out together, with the last time being a 1959 march in Beijing when Mao Zedong welcomed Kim Il Sung and Nikita Khrushchev.
Images of Putin and Kim — whose countries are subject to US sanctions — center stage were beamed around the world as Beijing rolled out missiles capable of reaching American shores. Xi’s tight embrace of both nations will likely worry many Western nations, whose leaders were largely absent from the parade, and have voiced concern over China’s military ambitions toward Taiwan.

The trio’s joint appearance was “symbolically meaningful,” said Joseph Torigian, assistant professor at the American University, who warned the optics could also cause Beijing reputational damage in the West.  
“Certainly, if you’re sitting in Europe or Washington, and you’re wondering whether the world is falling into different blocs based on authoritarian regimes, then it’s something they could pay attention to,” he added.

Underscoring such anxieties, as the parade began US President Donald Trump in a social media post accused Xi of trying to “conspire against The United States of America” with Kim and Putin, without elaborating. 
Giving a rare glimpse into the small talk of strongmen, Xi was heard discussing with his top two guests how biotechnology could this century extend life expectancy to 150 years old, something perhaps more relevant to septuagenarians Xi and Putin than 41-year-old Kim. Age and health have been a concern for all three leaders, however, with none appointing clear successors.

Beijing’s big pageant marking the end of World War II came just days after Xi hosted a major security summit, where he seized on another photo opportunity. Footage of Xi holding Indian leader Narendra Modi’s palm as they huddled in a close circle with Putin sent a clear message to Trump that neither men plans to cave under US tariff pressure to curb Russian energy purchases.
The bonhomie between Xi and his guests this week struck a contrast with Trump’s increasingly tense ties with traditional US allies including European nations targeted by his sweeping trade war. Several Oval Office showdowns including one with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy have highlighted the volatile nature of the US leader’s diplomacy on the world stage.

Before a crowd including a constellation of Global South leaders from countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Pakistan and Iran — all potential buyers of China’s military goods — Beijing showcased its latest anti-ship missiles, combat drones and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, projecting the power of its armed forces.
The spectacle on Chang’an Avenue gave investors a reason to take profit from a recent stock rally in companies that build the hardware. A Goldman Sachs gauge tracking Chinese defense stocks fell 7.1%, extending losses for the third session.

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