Conspiracy claim: Trump says US foes are teaming up

In a pointed critique ahead of China’s massive military parade, U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at what he sees as a growing anti-American conspiracy between Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang. The September 3rd parade in Beijing, China’s largest-ever display of military might, highlighted the country’s expanding defense capabilities while marking its WWII victory over Japan.

Taking to Truth Social, Trump couldn’t resist needling Chinese President Xi Jinping about America’s crucial but often forgotten role in helping China fight off Japanese occupation during WWII. With a mix of diplomatic pleasantries and barely veiled sarcasm, Trump wished Xi and the Chinese people a meaningful commemoration while pointedly extending his warm greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they «conspire against» the U.S.

The grand ceremony kicked off with thundering gun salutes as Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan welcomed a who’s who of international leaders friendly to Beijing.

The guest list read like a roll call of nations seeking closer ties with China: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko were all in attendance.