The world this weekPhotograph: ReutersSep 4th 2025|6 min readChina’s ruler, Xi Jinping, threw down his biggest challenge yet to the West’s global leadership by holding Beijing’s largest-ever military parade and a summit of 26 leaders from other countries. China showed off its new weapons, including laser gadgets, nuclear missiles and robot wolves at the parade, which was attended by Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and leaders from Belarus, Iran, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Mr Kim travelled with his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who may be the North Korean dictator’s eventual successor.Explore moreThis article appeared in the The world this week section of the print edition under the headline “Politics”From the September 6th 2025 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents⇒Explore the editionReuse this content