BEIJING : China marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with its biggest-ever military parade on Tuesday, where President Xi Jinping stood alongside Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in a dramatic display of solidarity.

The spectacle at Tiananmen Square featured the unveiling of China’s nuclear triad, hypersonic missiles, drones and advanced fighter jets, underscoring Beijing’s rapid military buildup. Xi declared that China would “never yield to external coercion,” a line widely seen as directed at Washington.

The presence of Putin and Kim sent a strong geopolitical message of alignment against Western influence.

In the U.S., President Donald Trump lashed out, accusing the trio of plotting “a dangerous conspiracy against America.” He dismissed the parade as authoritarian propaganda, warning it signaled growing challenges to U.S. power.

Western analysts echoed concerns that the show of force highlighted Beijing’s ambitions, particularly regarding Taiwan, even as questions remain over how battle-ready many of its new systems are.