Beijing’s Victory Day Parade turned into a stage for global diplomacy, with Chinese President Xi Jinping emerging as a more effective mediator than US President Donald Trump. While Trump had long aspired to broker peace between North and South Korea, Xi managed to bring representatives from both sides together on a single platform, delivering a symbolic breakthrough.
North Korea was represented by leader Kim Jong Un, while South Korea sent its Speaker of Parliament, Woo Won-shik. The two met in Beijing, shook hands, and held discussions, a moment that caught the world by surprise. Although no official photographs of the handshake have surfaced, the very act of dialogue between the two Koreas, after a gap of seven years, was hailed as a diplomatic coup for China.
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For Trump, who just days earlier reiterated his willingness to mediate between the two Koreas, this was a bitter setback. His dream of being recognized as the world’s top peacemaker and perhaps a Nobel Prize contender, appeared to be slipping away, as Xi Jinping claimed the spotlight.
The symbolism extended beyond the Korean handshake. The parade brought together leaders from traditionally rival nations: Azerbaijan and Armenia, who have fought three wars; Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia, which dispute South China Sea territories; and Congo and Zimbabwe, long-time adversaries. Their presence on one stage reinforced Xi’s growing stature as a global convener, overshadowing Trump’s repeated but unfulfilled mediation claims.
The last meeting between Kim Jong Un and Woo Won-shik dates back to 2018, when Woo, then floor leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, had a personal exchange with Kim. Beijing’s reunion suggests China may play a more prominent role in easing regional tensions going forward.
With Trump pushing tariff wars and seeking allies in Europe, Beijing’s parade has redefined the balance cementing Xi as a pivotal figure around whom the Global South could rally.