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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Benita Kolovos and Sarah Basford Canales

Daniel Andrews defends decision to attend China military parade alongside Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping with his wife Peng Liyuan, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and heads of foreign delegations pose for a family photo before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, known in China as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the end of World War II, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, 03 September 2025.
Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has defended his decision to attend China’s military parade saying it was a chance for him to ‘meet and engage with regional leaders’. Photograph: Sergey Bobylev/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA

Daniel Andrews has hit back at critics of his decision to attend China’s military parade alongside Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying it was a chance for him to “meet and engage with regional leaders”.

The former Victorian premier, known for his interest in bolstering his state’s ties with China while he was in the job, was pictured at the ceremony on Wednesday and was quickly criticised for posing with the so-called “axis of upheaval”.

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