World Leaders Gather in Beijing for WWII Anniversary Parade Amid Shifting Geopolitics

Beijing Summit and Military Parade

• 🌍 World leaders, including Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin, and Narendra Modi, are gathering in Beijing for a massive military parade.
• 🗓️ The parade commemorates 80 years since the end of World War II and is scheduled for tomorrow.
• 📸 The event aims to project an image of China as a resurgent counterweight to American power, particularly by bringing together leaders from Asia and the so-called global south.

Key Attendees and Geopolitical Implications

• 🤝 The gathering includes leaders from Asia and Central Asia, with notable figures like Kim Jong-un arriving via his armored train and Iran's President Masud Peskin.
• 💬 The quartet of Xi, Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Peskin is critically termed the "axis of upheaval" by some.
• 🗣️ Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized pushing back against "hegemony," a term understood as a coded reference to the United States.

Economic and Security Developments

• ⛽ A significant outcome is the agreement on Russian energy exports to China, including a new natural gas pipeline, "Power of Siberia 2."
• 📉 This new pipeline, stretching over 1500 miles, is comparable in capacity to Nordstream 1 and comes as Europe reduces its imports of Russian gas.
• ❓ Key questions remain about potential commitments, such as whether Kim Jong-un will send more troops to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and if India's Modi will deepen ties with Putin and Xi.
• 🚀 The parade is expected to showcase China's force projection, including new warplanes, defense systems, and possibly hypersonic missiles like the "Guam killer."