The Guardian view on Xi, Putin and Kim: heed China's statement of intent, but don't take it as fact | Editorial

"On Wednesday morning, Beijingers living near Tiananmen Square were issued with cold breakfast packs and ordered to refrain from cooking, lest smoke from stoves cloud the skies above the mammoth military parade. China's Communist party goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that nothing obscures the message of such performances in this case, that Xi Jinping is reshaping the global order and that China is, in his words, unstoppable."

"The parade marked 80 years since the end of the second world war, positioning China as the critical force in victory in the east then, and a force to be similarly reckoned with today as humanity is again faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum, in Mr Xi's words. China is not afraid of bullies. Nationalism has become increasingly central to the party's domestic message."

"For international observers, it was the guest list, even more than the sizeable nuclear and conventional arsenal, which spelled out the intent. The images of the Chinese leader flanked by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, with other autocrats paying court, could hardly have been more striking. It found its intended audience. Donald Trump his pique perhaps sharpened by the contrast with his own alarming but underwhelming parade in June accused the trio of conspiring against the United States."

Beijing restricted cooking and distributed cold breakfasts near Tiananmen to ensure clear skies for a large military parade that projected strength. The event framed Xi Jinping as reshaping the global order and presented China as unstoppable. The parade commemorated 80 years since World War II's end, casting China as decisive in eastern victory and as a contemporary power facing choices between peace or war and cooperation or confrontation. Nationalism has been elevated in domestic messaging. The presence of leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un signalled a bloc of autocrats, while US actions and Indian decisions influenced international perceptions of predictability and alignment.

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