W Beijing held a military parade to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the surrender of the nipponese Empire and the end of planet War II in Asia. The authoritative intent of the event was to pay tribute to the past, but its actual effect reached far further. China, Russia and North Korea leaders – Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un – sat in the stands, which for many observers was a clear signal: this is simply a fresh force block that wants to redefine the planet order. And while no American delegation was invited, 1 American watched the situation very closely. And this is president Donald Trump.
Trump did not stay indifferent to what was happening in Beijing. Although initially in a conversation with The Scott Jennings Radio Show he assured that he was not “all concerned” about the anticipation of the Beijing–Moscow axis being created, his speech changed erstwhile he decided to comment on the event on social media. On fact Social he wrote:
"May president Xi and the large people of China have a large and lasting day of celebration. delight give my warmest greetings to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un erstwhile you game against the United States of America.”
This message immediately echoed worldwide – not only due to the conspiracy charge, but besides due to the bitter sarcasm that came out from under the “healing” layer.
The sound of the parade left no illusions. Hundreds of military units, fighter flights, demonstration of hypersonic rockets and the latest drones—all of this was to show the modernity and strength of the Chinese army. The release of 80,000 white pigeons was to be a symbol of peace, but many saw only a decorative facade for much more aggressive transmission. Xi Jinping gave a speech in which he described China as "unstopped" and called on the planet to choose between war and peace. These words clearly suggested an alternate to planet order dominated by the United States and their allies.
Putin and Kim's presence alongside Xi was not accidental. For the public in the US and Europe, specified an alliance, although informal, resembled echoes of cold war agreements. The Kremlin, who continues to wage war against Ukraine despite Trump's calls for peace, rejected accusations of conspiracy. Kremlin's abroad Policy Advisor, Yuri Uszakov, stated:
“No 1 plotted, no 1 planned anything. Moreover, no 1 even had specified an idea.”
He besides added:
"I hope that Trump's speech can find even a small irony."
However, Trump's irony, if intended at all, did not hide his frustration. The president of the United States acknowledged in the same news that the United States had shed “great amounts of support and blood” for China during planet War II. He wrote:
"Many Americans died in a Chinese quest for triumph and Glory. I hope that they will be decently Honored and Memorized for their Courage and Sacrifice!”
This appeal was almost a reproach, a reminder of the common past, which present has been suppressed by geopolitical realities.
It should be admitted that in this symbolic gathering of the 3 leaders in Beijing there was more to be seen than just a memory of the past. Xi, Putin and Kim not only appeared together for the first time in history, but they besides sent a signal that was easy to decipher: we are ready to face the West. Even if no political or military declarations were made, the presence of these 3 themselves during an event of specified a scale and specified a setting was of large importance.
Trump, known for his direct kind of speech and readiness to confront, could not ignore it. Although he assured that the American army was “the strongest in the world” and that:
“They will never usage their army against us, believe me, that would be the worst thing they could do.”
It was his message on social media that suggested something different. In it there was a note of anxiety, regret, and possibly besides the awareness that something is changing – that the balance of forces in the planet is beginning to tilt towards a direction that does not correspond to the conventional imagination of American domination.
It is no secret that Trump has repeatedly tried to play the function of a peacemaker on the global stage. His unsuccessful attempts to end the war in Ukraine, his direct talks with Kim and his individual approach to Putin are elements of his geopolitical heritage. However, the presence of these 3 leaders together in Beijing, without his participation, acted as a theatrical staging of the end of a certain era. Trump was not the 1 who sat at the center of diplomatic talks – Xi, Putin and Kim were the ones who gave out the cards. Trump could only comment from the side.
Trump's words – sarcastic but at the same time full of seriousness – are echoing today, as they do not concern only 1 event. This is simply a comment on the wider process of shifting the global power system. China increasingly shows its military ambitions, Russia continues aggressive politics despite global criticism, and North Korea uses its place in this fresh configuration as a political bargaining card. In all of this, the United States, although inactive powerful, is no longer the only point of reference.
The parade in Beijing was so more than just an anniversary event – it was a manifesto, an effort to show a fresh arrangement of forces, in which 3 countries – each with their own interests and past of conflict with the West – can talk with 1 voice. Are they actually plotting against the United States? That question remains unanswered. But the very anticipation that they can do it is adequate to origin anxiety. Trump expressed this concern publicly, possibly as a warning, or possibly as the beginning of a fresh political narrative, in which the threat from the outside again becomes the main subject of the American discourse.
It is not known whether Xi will truly “give greetings” from Trump to Putin and Kim. But it is known that the planet has noticed this exchange – symbolic, full of tension and ambiguity. At a time erstwhile diplomacy is increasingly taking place, not behind closed doors, but on public forums and social platforms, any statement, even colored with sarcasm, can become an inflammatory point. And this concrete message by Trump can be remembered as the minute erstwhile the political theatre changed the scene from conference rooms to digital screens, from formal speeches to grumpy posts.
