Historian Miles Yu on China's Military Parade and Global Politics

Purpose of China's Military Parade

• 🇨🇳 China uses large-scale military parades and pageantry to project an image of infallibility, invincibility, and global command.
• 🌍 The current parade's scale is amplified by the geopolitical timing, with Russia involved in Ukraine and other leaders seeking attention or leverage.
• 🎭 The event aims to create an illusion that China is the leader of an alternative world order, though this is contested by clashing ambitions among leaders.

The 'Access of Upheaval' and Optics

• 🤝 The gathering of leaders like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un is largely for optics, as genuine communication is limited by language barriers.
• 💡 The term 'trolling' is fitting for these photo opportunities, designed to provoke a reaction, particularly from the US.
• 🔗 While these leaders share an anti-West ideology, their underlying national interests and ambitions create significant differences.

China's Role in the Ukraine War

• 🚫 China has not condemned Russia and is a critical enabler of the war, providing essential tools and financial support.
• ⚠️ The war in Ukraine is presented as being as much China's war as Russia's, as a Russian defeat would have significant implications for China.
• 🤝 Ending the war is contingent on severing ties between China and Russia.

Shared Logic of Aggression

• 🇷🇺 China and Russia share a similar logic of aggression regarding territorial claims.
• 🇨🇳 China uses historical and linguistic ties to justify its claims over Taiwan, mirroring Russia's justification for its actions in Ukraine.
• 💥 Despite shared animosity towards the West, significant conflicts and clashes of ambition exist between Putin and Xi.