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Episode details

World Service,04 Sep 2025,26 mins

Xi’s axis of frenemies

The Global Story

Available for over a year

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

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