China is using the SCO summit and Victory Day parade to showcase its vision of a new world order

China is using the SCO summit and Victory Day parade to showcase its vision of a new world order.

As summer winds down, Beijing has entered diplomatic high season by packing two major events into a single week: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in the northeastern city of Tianjin and a Victory Day parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The symbolism is hard to miss. 

The events send a clear message – China is casting itself as the standard-bearer of a multipolar world led by the Global South, set against the Western narrative of a US-led liberal international order. 

Both events are carefully staged pieces of political theatre, blending diplomatic posturing, military strength and historical narrative. And China has a dual audience in mind, aiming to boost public morale at home while projecting power and influence in its neighbourhood and beyond.