Chinese soldiers are marching in Moscow, Plus US lawmakers push 'delisting' as Trump kills 'de minimus' imports -- China Boss News 5.09.25

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What happened?

Today, Chinese soldiers are marching across Moscow’s Red Square alongside Russian troops, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany.

The pageantry may recall history, but its real purpose is to signal a future: one where China and Russia stand shoulder to shoulder, not just as allies of convenience, but as architects of an alternative world order.

President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow for Victory Day is not just a commemorative gesture — it is a bold geopolitical statement, coming at a moment of global fracture, economic warfare, and escalating East-West confrontation.

Xi’s presence as Vladimir Putin’s “main guest” at the centerpiece of Russia’s most sacred military holiday is designed to project strength and solidarity.

But behind the optics lies a calculated move to reinforce the deepening China-Russia alignment in the face of mounting Western pressure.

For Putin, who is increasingly isolated due to his prolonged war in Ukraine, Xi’s arrival offers political cover and global legitimacy.

For Xi, it’s a chance to show the world — and especially Washington — that China will not be cornered, and that Beijing is not afraid to align openly with a pariah if it suits its interests.

Why it matters.

Dreamers

The last time Chinese soldiers marched in Moscow’s Victory Day parade was in 2020, a COVID-delayed commemoration of the 75th anniversary.

Before that, in 2015, China made its debut on Red Square.

This year’s parade is different — both more theatrical and more strategic.

It comes amid a new wave of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, signs of faltering Chinese growth, and Xi’s broader campaign to position China as the leader of the “Global South” against what he frames as Western dominance.

The symbolism is layered and intentional.

Marching in Red Square is not just about honoring shared history — it’s about reasserting a shared worldview.

Xi has drawn explicit comparisons between the Allied victory over fascism and the need to resist “hegemony and power politics” today, which is code for the United States and NATO.

By placing Chinese troops in the heart of Moscow during a live military display, Xi is lending weight, visually and diplomatically, to Putin’s embattled regime, even as Russian missiles rain down on Ukrainian cities and Western sanctions bite harder.

This matters — not just to Washington and Kyiv, but to Europe.

Xi’s visit threatens to unravel Beijing’s efforts to rebuild ties with the European Union, which have been strained by years of economic friction, human rights concerns, and, more recently, China’s tacit support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

European capitals have watched with increasing alarm as Beijing supplies Russia with dual-use technology, props up its economy through energy purchases, and turns a blind eye to reports of Chinese nationals fighting in Russian units.

In a bid to thaw tensions, Beijing recently lifted sanctions on European lawmakers and called for a “healthy and stable” relationship with the EU.

But Xi Jinping’s public embrace of Vladimir Putin may erase whatever goodwill those gestures bought.

Partner and enemy

For Europe—especially countries like Germany, which have tried to balance trade ties with security concerns—images of Xi saluting a Russian military parade while missiles fall on Kyiv are hard to reconcile.

In Brussels, this isn’t neutrality. It’s alignment.

And watching Chinese soldiers march across Red Square under the gaze of a sanctioned war criminal won’t soften Europe's stance; it will harden it.

The timing couldn’t be worse.

China is scrambling to offset the economic blow of Trump’s 145% tariffs by expanding exports to Europe.

But Xi’s optics in Moscow—military solidarity over diplomatic subtlety—risk turning Europe cold just when Beijing most needs access and leverage.

That’s the jarring contradiction at the heart of Xi’s strategy—courting economic rapprochement with Europe while deepening military-political ties with Russia.

Xi, with the confidence of China’s red-aristocrats, is wagering he can have both.

But it’s unlikely.

For Europe, Ukraine isn’t just someone else’s war—it’s an existential crisis.

And Xi’s symbolic presence in Moscow makes it harder than ever for any European leader to pretend that China is independent.

More troubling for Beijing is that Kyiv, too, understands the choreography of power.

In the days leading up to the parade, Ukrainian drones struck deep into Russian territory, grounding flights in Moscow and exposing gaps in Russia’s air defenses.

These were not just military strikes but counter-propaganda campaigns, designed to puncture Xi and Putin’s vanity project and mock the hollow theater of their “stronger together” act.

The banners, the salutes, the polished boots—quickly reduced to fragile pageantry.

So when Xi stepped onto the tarmac and found himself in the heart of a live warzone, the irony rang louder than the ceremonial brass.

For China’s supreme leader—an insulated princeling—it was an unwelcome jolt and a sharp reminder that even the most polished myth-making isn’t bulletproof. 😏

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