'Axis of evil' Russia, China and North Korea staging military parade 'to terrify world'

By Richard Ashmore, Senior News Reporter

Western analysts will be watching closely the military parade on Wednesday (Image: Getty )

The world will be watching as a tyrannical trio of leaders attend a display of China's military might in a parade designed to "terrify the global public", an expert has warned. Russia's Vladimir Putin will join North Korea's Kim Jong Un and China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday for the pomp and ceremony of a procession of new warfighting weapons unveiled for the first time in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

It's reported the new devices could include revealing the "most powerful laser air defence system in the world", after images have been circulated online of a military vehicle with a tarpaulin draped over a turrent-like structure on its back. It's likely Western military analysts will be watching the military parade with interest, looking for new technologies which could give China the edge on the battlefield. Beijing-made drones have already been deployed in the war in Ukraine, where North Korean soldiers have also been fighting alongside Putin's forces.

Professor Anthony Glees, a military and intelligence expert, told the Daily Express: "I think we need to take the threat of the Chinese laser kit very seriously indeed.

Putin and Xi jinping met this week in China (Image: Getty )

"Our military intelligence people will be looking very carefully at what’s being paraded. People are often sceptical about the usefulness of military parades, on the grounds that why would evil powers like China, Russia and North Korea reveal their latest weaponry to the global public as well as military intelligence officials .

"But of course, it’s done precisely to terrify the global public, and threaten defence ministries with their prowess. During the Soviet era, the May Day military parades were our major source of intelligence about the latest weapons."

Prof Glees, from the University of Buckingham, added that the meeting of the Russian, Chinese and North Korean leaders, who will also be joined by the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, was a sign of "two fateful things happening".

He added: "First of course, we’re seeing the pull of China and its so-called 'Shanghai cooperation' policy which is China’s way of establishing itself as the global world leader of the 21st century.

"It is my opinion a genuine axis of evil, of the three most aggressive powers, Russia, North Korea and China, wants to pull in satellites like India and demonstrate their ability to wage war at will and cow and subvert their enemies as they strive to grab land off their neighbors and add territory to their empires.

Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (Image: AP )

"Second, they are showing that they do not give a fig for Trump and his now obvious inability to call the shots and set the global weather.

"Trump’s posturing and his Nobel prize ambitions have actually revealed the stark limits to US power on his watch. He’s keen on peace, yes, but confronted with adversaries who are more than keen on warfare, he’s at a terminal disadvantage.

"This is bad news for Ukraine, for the people of Gaza, for Europe and for Starmer (whose foreign and economic policy relies on Trump to succeed). MAGA wanted this to be the American century. We must fear it will be China’s."

In Britain, the Royal Navy has trialled a laser defence system dubbed Dragonfire which is reported to have downed 30 drones in 300 shots. According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) "DragonFire exploits UK technology to be able to deliver a high power laser over long ranges. The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin from a kilometre away".

The MoD plans to equip four destroyers with the £120 million weapons by 2027.

Speaking about the new British laser, Prof Glees counseled caution. He said: "Yes we have Dragonfire but as far as I recall it’s not operational yet, a few years down the line. But even if it is working right now, we need to worry about Chinese hardware."