Xi Jinping oversaw a huge display of China’s military power on Wednesday before some of the world’s most powerful authoritarian leaders, rallying them behind his vision for a new world order as US President Donald Trump wages a global trade war and shakes up American alliances.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un flanked Xi at the start of the parade as the trio stood together publicly for the first time in a historic moment.
The parade unveiled hundreds of advanced weapons and featured over 10,000 troops, showcasing China’s growing military power under Xi’s push to modernize the world’s largest standing army.
Here are some of the defining images of the day.
