BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin flanked Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of diplomatic grandstanding by the Chinese president and his allies against the West.
In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook both their hands and chatted with the pair as they walked down a red carpet towards Tiananmen Square, with Putin to Xi's right and Kim to his left.
Xi said China was "unstoppable" in a speech to kick off a massive parade in Beijing marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
"The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable and humanity's cause of peace and development will prevail," Xi said in the speech, aired on television.
"Humanity is again faced with a choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games," Xi added.
The president called on nations across the world "to eliminate the root cause of war and prevent historical tragedies from recurring".
"Common security can only be safeguarded when nations across the world treat each other as equals, live in harmony, and mutually support one another," he said.