HONG KONG (AP) — Leaders from about two dozen countries joined Chinese President Xi Jinping to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a military parade in the Chinese capital on Wednesday, in a show of solidarity among nations friendly to Beijing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who made a rare foreign trip to attend, flanked Xi as they ascended to the viewing platform overlooking Tiananmen Square and watched the display of military hardware and marching troops. Observers say the joint appearance was a show of unity against the United States.
While leaders from the U.S., Western Europe, Japan, South Korea and India skipped the event, Xi showed Beijing's growing influence in the Global South and other emerging economies with his guest list.
Here's a glance at Xi's guests:
US adversaries
Joining Putin and Kim included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, all considered U.S. adversaries. Russia's close ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko walked next to Kim after taking group pictures with other leaders.
Putin and Kim chatted animatedly with Xi as they climbed up the stairs to the viewing platform.
The sight of these leaders, with Xi, appeared to observers as a challenge to a U.S.-led international order.
Leaders from Asia and Africa
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who initially canceled his trip to China due to protests at home, made it to Beijing and took part in the event with his counterparts in Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Myanmar’s military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was there too.
Other leaders from South and Central Asia also attended, including Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Kazakhstan president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa was also on the guest list.
Most European leaders stayed away
The only European leaders attending the parade were Serbia's Russia-friendly President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.
But former Romanian prime ministers Adrian Năstase and Viorica Dăncilă took the group picture with current leaders.
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