Xi assembles ‘Axis of Upheaval’ to unnerve West: Who all are attending China's grand military parade?

File Photo - In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2025.

China is preparing to send a message the West cannot ignore. After days of diplomatic pageantry hosting Asian and Middle Eastern leaders, President Xi Jinping will now roll tanks, missiles, and soldiers down Beijing’s Avenue of Eternal Peace in a grand military parade.

By placing Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at his side, Xi is showcasing a gathering of leaders Washington brands as rogues, but which Beijing frames as partners in a shifting world order.

For Donald Trump and the West, it will be an uncomfortable spectacle. For India, it is a moment that underlines its growing importance in a landscape no longer defined by American dominance.

The “axis of upheaval” on display

What makes this year’s parade even more significant is Xi’s guest list. Seated beside him will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. This marks the first time the leaders of all four countries have appeared together at a single event.

Western analysts have warned for years that these nations are converging into what has been described as an “axis of upheaval” or “axis of growing malign partnerships,” CNN mentions in its report. Washington has singled them out because Iran and North Korea have supplied weapons and even troops to Russia for its war in Ukraine, while China has kept Moscow’s economy afloat through trade and industrial support.

“(China’s military parade) will be the first time that the leaders of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are all present in the same place. There have been little or no quadrilateral engagements between the four countries, so this is a distinctive moment,” Brian Hart, a fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNN.

Xi knows that bringing these leaders together will alarm the West. Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, explained to CNN that Xi wants to set his own rules for international legitimacy: “He wants to signal that he can set the rules around who should be deemed acceptable by the international community, regardless of what the democratic West or the US may think.”

Trump’s turbulence creates openings

The timing of Xi’s show of force is no accident. Under President Donald Trump, Washington has been disrupting alliances and starting a global trade war that has hurt even its own partners. Trump’s punitive tariffs have created economic pain not only for China but also for India, Southeast Asia, and other countries.

Just last month India faced up to 50 percent tariffs on its exports to the US, with half of those penalties tied to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. For countries already balancing between the US and China, Trump’s actions have created doubts about America’s reliability as a partner.

Jonathan Czin, the Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings, noted that Xi is sending a deliberate message: “What Xi is trying to convey is certainty about China’s role in international affairs. This is clearly signalling to people throughout the region that China has arrived as a great power and it’s not going anywhere. If you’re a US ally or partner, sitting in a capital somewhere in the region, and you have real doubts about whether or not you can rely on the United States as a partner, that’s an uncomfortable split screen to be viewing.”

In other words, Trump’s erratic policies are doing Xi a favour by making America look unreliable, while China positions itself as the stable alternative.

India’s place in the picture

Among the most striking moments of the SCO summit was the camaraderie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi, and Putin. Modi was seen smiling and laughing with Xi, and he warmly embraced Putin in front of the cameras. These images carry enormous symbolism.

For years, Washington has tried to pull India firmly into its camp as a counterweight to China. But Trump’s tariffs and punitive measures are pushing New Delhi to reconsider. For India, which values its strategic autonomy, this is an opportunity to engage on its own terms rather than bowing to Washington’s pressure.

As Xi plays host, India is being courted alongside Russia, Iran, and other regional powers. This reflects India’s importance in the new balance of power. Modi’s visible warmth at the summit shows that India is not isolated but central to the conversations shaping Asia’s future.

Rewriting history and the future

The parade also carries historical symbolism. It commemorates the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Both Xi and Putin are drawing from that history to present themselves as defenders of a post-war order against American dominance.

Xi’s speeches throughout the week have reinforced this message. He has repeatedly criticised “cold war mentality, block confrontation and bullying practices,” phrases that Beijing uses to describe US behaviour. He has also pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to SCO member states and called for reforms to the international system. As he put it, “The house rules of a few countries should not be imposed upon others.”

Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace, summarised Xi’s broader vision. “Xi is pressing ahead with a campaign to delegitimize US leadership, weaken Western solidarity, and elevate China as a credible alternative,” he told CNN.

The global split screen

For leaders across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Xi’s summit and parade offer a stark contrast to Washington’s chaos. China is presenting itself as reliable, generous, and forward-looking, while the US under Trump is inward-looking, punitive, and unpredictable.

For the West, the image of Xi standing beside Putin, Kim, and Pezeshkian in Beijing, backed by a parade of advanced Chinese weaponry, will be deeply unsettling. But for Xi, it is the perfect stage to show that China is no longer content to play by Western rules.

And for India, it is a moment of opportunity. New Delhi is engaging with multiple powers on its own terms, showing that it is a confident player in the global realignment rather than a follower of Washington’s unstable policies.