Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stood publicly shoulder to shoulder for the first time on Wednesday, ahead of a massive military parade in central Beijing.
That parade, which marked 80 years since China's victory over Japan in World War Two, saw Beijing unveiling a range of new military hardware – including a new nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, a new road-bound missile for delivering hypersonic weapons, a new laser weapon, and even "robotic dog" drones.
It comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a counterweight to the United States as Trump's tariffs rock the global economic and political order.
Five BBC correspondents assess the significance of Wednesday's parade – what it means, why it matters, and what the spectacle tells us about the "new world order".
By Laura Bicker, China correspondent
