China’s Xi at Center of World Stage After Days of High-Level Hobnobbing

China’s President Xi Jinping gives a toast at a reception in the Great Hall of the People, following a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing on September 3, 2025. (Photo by Jade Gao / AFP)

By Rebecca Bailey

Two blockbuster events in China this week were a successful exposition of President Xi Jinping’s vision of a new world order — one that puts him and his country firmly at its center while sidelining his rival, the United States.

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by Agence France-Presse

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