Beijing —

The optics could not have been more stark as Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived at a massive military parade in Beijing flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – with some two dozen other leaders including from Iran, Pakistan, Belarus and Myanmar trailing behind.

Jumbotrons at Tiananmen Square beamed the image to the 50,000 people gathered under the beating Beijing sun to witness the spectacle, many waving small Chinese flags, while state media transmitted it to televisions across China and the world.

Many watching in capitals across the West, including Donald Trump, thought the messaging was clear: China is deliberately provoking the US and its partners.

“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspi

See Full Page