FEATURE: Analysts doubt lasting alliance between Xi, Putin, and Kim
As United States President Donald Trump launched a global tariff war that disrupted international trade, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, followed by a grand military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory against Japanese aggression.
Both events drew leaders whose stances frequently oppose Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended both, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian joined the September 3 parade.
Western media noted that China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran — four of America’s main international adversaries, dubbed the “Axis of Upheaval” by some analysts — now stood together. This fueled speculation that Xi intended to use the back-to-back gatherings to demonstrate China’s ability to rally allies against the U.S. and perhaps to position itself as a defender of global...
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