New Delhi : US President Donald Trump called China’s largest-ever military parade “impressive” before dismissing it as a carefully choreographed spectacle meant to catch his attention. I thought it was a beautiful ceremony. I thought it was very, very impressive,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Chinese President Xi Jinping presided on Wednesday over the parade at Tiananmen Square, flanked by Russian premier Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The display, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan and the end of World War 2, featured goose-stepping troops, cutting-edge missile systems and other equipment designed to project China’s rising military might.
Xi used his speech to thank foreign governments and international friends who supported and assisted the Chinese people, but he made no mention of the US. That omission irked Trump, who said Washington played a decisive role in Japan’s defeat. Xi is a friend, but I was surprised the US wasn’t mentioned,” Trump said. “We helped China greatly to gain its freedom and deserved credit.
Trump was repeating his grouse that Beijing is trying to rewrite wartime history by minimising American contributions to the Allied victory in Asia. The US President’s comments came hours after he made a stunning charge on social media: that the gathering of the Russian and North Korean leaders in Beijing might amount to a conspiracy against Washington.
Yet in the White House, Trump softened his tone. My relationship with all of them is very good, he said. We are going to find out how good it is over the next week or two. Asked for his thoughts on not being invited to the parade in Beijing, Trump made it clear that he wasn’t losing any sleep over the snub. Never even thought about it until just now. Never even thought, he said. “I wouldn’t, it wouldn’t have been my place to be there.
The parade, with its mix of military muscle and high-profile guests, was a major showcase of China’s expanding global influence and its growing ties with countries at odds with Washington. The event also comes at a moment of heightened US-China tensions stemming from the threat of sky-high tariffs and jostling for geopolitical dominance.
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