Xi’s axis of frenemies

President Xi Jinping said humanity faces "a choice between peace and war” as China paraded a huge arsenal of weapons – including nuclear missiles – in Beijing yesterday.

Xi's military parade, watched over by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, seemed a provocation to the west – most notably, Donald Trump – and a signal of his will to redraw the world order, lessening China’s reliance on the US.

In today's episode, the BBC's Celia Hatton considers: how long will China's friendships last with world leaders who have for years been its rivals?

Producers: Hannah Moore and Lucy Pawle
Executive Producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior News Editor: China Collins

Image: Xi Jingping at a WW2 anniversary reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Florence Lo/Reuters