By Wang Jun, Vision Times
On Sept. 3, Chinese leader Xi Jinping presided over a massive military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the “War of Resistance” against Japan. The spectacle featured some of China’s most advanced weaponry, with roughly 10,000 troops on display. Among the foreign dignitaries present were Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Now, former Australian Domestic Affairs Minister Michael Pezzullo is drawing chilling parallels between the event and Nazi Germany’s militaristic propaganda of the 1930s.
According to Sky News Australia, Pezzullo said the parade was less about honoring history than about showcasing Xi’s military ambitions. Its real purpose, he argued, was to intimidate those who might resist Xi’s vision of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
‘Crossroads between peace and war’
Pezzullo, who once ranked among Australia’s most influential national security officials, said he was disturbed by Xi’s framing of the world as standing at a “crossroads between peace and war.” Interpreting Xi’s words, he remarked: “If you don’t stand in my way, there will be peace. But if you resist me, there will be war.”
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He pointed to “eerie similarities” between Beijing’s parade and Nazi Germany’s mid-1930s propaganda films, particularly the goose-stepping formations made iconic in Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will.”
“And it was Nazi Germany’s projection of the same message,” Pezzullo said. “‘we are rejuvenating, don’t stand in our way; If you want peace, you won’t stand in our way. But if you do, it will be war. The parallels are chilling, right down to the precision marching and goose-step.’”
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Pezzullo further warned that Xi’s territorial ambitions will place Australia in a “deeply troubling” strategic environment. He highlighted China’s claims in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, along with Xi’s repeated pledge to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control.
Looking ahead to the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress in 2027, where Xi is expected to seek a fourth term, Pezzullo suggested Xi may try to secure territorial “trophies” beforehand to cement his legacy. “Xi has already set a timeline,” he said. “He may prefer to achieve his goals without war, but if he deems force necessary, he will use it. This is a profoundly unsettling period.”
A total of 25 heads of state attended the parade—matching the number from a decade ago. Yet nearly all Western leaders were absent. Chinese state television repeatedly showed images of Xi, Putin, and Kim standing together on Tiananmen Square, often leaning in for private exchanges.
US Speaker condemns organ harvesting remarks
Before the parade began, microphones picked up a conversation between Xi and Putin — interpreted live — that stunned audiences worldwide. The two leaders, joined by Kim Jong-un, discussed topics ranging from longevity to organ transplantation.
MORE ON THIS: Xi, Putin Heard on Hot Mic Discussing Immortality and Organ Transplants
The exchange provoked outrage. New Tang Dynasty TV’s congressional correspondent Melina Wisecup pressed U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on the matter. Johnson denounced the remarks as “evil” and promised to prioritize legislation targeting forced organ harvesting.
“I will tell you that we’ve heard some horrific stories of these organ transplants and all of this in China, that they take it from unwilling donors … to put it mildly,” said Johnson, adding, “The fact that they were caught in a hot mic … is very telling.,” he added. “It tells you where their worldview is, in contrast to ours. Speaking of evil… What they are saying is the devil’s words.”
“But if the leaders are talking about it, it should alarm us,” Johnson further noted. “That’s news to me.”
Johnson also stressed the importance of moral clarity: “We have legislation that would address it, and we might need to put it at the top of the priority if that’s what happened.”
In May, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed both the Falun Gong Protection Act and the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act, with votes of 406–1. Analysts say the Sept. 3 hot mic moment could accelerate Senate approval, clearing the way for the president’s signature.
