ISLAMABAD / ISTANBUL

China's President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that humanity faces a choice between peace and war and urged nations across the world to eliminate the root causes of conflict and prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies.

The 72-year-old leader was addressing a military parade in Beijing to mark China's victory against Japanese aggression, the end of World War II and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN.

Xi said: “humanity again faces a choice between peace and war, dialogue and confrontation, win-win cooperation and zero-sum games.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat on the right and left sides of the Chinese president, who hosted 26 foreign leaders during the mega event.

“The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable and humanity's cause of peace and development will prevail,” he said.

He pledged that China would continue on a path of peaceful development and work to strengthen common security worldwide.

“The Chinese people firmly stand on the right side of history and the progress of human civilization,” said Xi, adding the Chinese military will remain reliable in safeguarding national sovereignty while also contributing to global peace, adding the "Chinese do not fear violence and bullying."

Xi also paid tribute to China’s sacrifices during World War II, saying: "The Chinese people made a major contribution to the salvation of human civilization and the defense of world peace with immense sacrifice in the resistance war against Japanese aggression, a significant part of the World Anti-Fascist War."

During the parade, he reviewed thousands of troops, advanced weaponry and aerial formations in Tiananmen Square, underscoring both China’s military strength and its vision of global cooperation.

He also inspected the troops and weaponry in an open car, greeting the soldiers.

Some 45 echelons participated in the parade besides a showcase of Chinese weaponry, most of which was made public for the first time.

- ‘Less nationalistic’

Observers said Xi sounded “more rooted in internationalism,” while “striking a less ardently nationalistic tone” when compared to his speech at a similar parade a decade ago in 2015.

Brian Hart, deputy director at US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said while the new military equipment revealed by China during the parade “got all the buzz … don't ignore Xi Jinping's speech, which he delivered to a large international audience, with Putin, Kim, and other leaders by his side.”

On Xi saying the world was facing the choice between war and peace, Hart wrote on US social media company X that the Chinese leader framed the war against “Japanese aggression” as a “universal issue not just about China.”

“Here, Xi is clearly (but indirectly) juxtaposing China with the US and the West, and calling on the world to side with China on the ‘right side of history’. He's casting China as a positive force, with an eye to the Global South in particular,” said the analyst.

Demonstrating its soft as well as hard power in Beijing on Wednesday, Xi “signals that China doesn’t prefer to initiate military conflicts, but it is also not afraid of using its military to defend its territorial integrity and national interests,” according to William Yang, Northeast Asia analyst at International Crisis Group think tank.