When Chinese leader Xi Jinping staged his first parade to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in 2015, he stood alongside his two predecessors, signaling respect and continuity in leadership.
A decade later, Xi, having consolidated power and eliminated domestic rivals as he embarks on an unprecedented third term, was flanked Wednesday at the 80th anniversary parade by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Chinese Communist Party officials were interspersed among foreign dignitaries, underscoring the mix of domestic authority and international outreach.
The parade followed a high-profile summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Tianjin, as well as Xi’s rare visit to Tibet last month.
The display of diplomatic influence, personal stamina, and geopolitical ambition has helped assuage concerns among observers about the 72-year-old president’s vitality – questions fueled by sporadic public absences and uncertainty over succession plans.
