China said that the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II was held to “remember history and cherish peace” for a better future, rejecting the remarks of Kaja Kallas, the European Commission’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, who referred to the participating countries as an “autocratic alliance” and a challenge to the international system.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that “The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War.”

The ministry noted that the parade and other commemorative ceremony were meant “to remember history, honor the fallen heroes, cherish peace and create a better future, and together with all peace-loving nations in the world, defend the outcomes of the WWII victory and the post-war international order.”

The ministry stressed that China expects some EU countries will set aside “prejudice and arrogance,” and called for establishing a “correct historical perspective of WWII” and contributing to “a more peaceful and stable world.”

Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday, “While Western leaders gather in diplomacy, an autocratic alliance is seeking a fast track to a new world order. Looking at President Xi standing alongside the leaders of Russia, Iran, and North Korea in Beijing today.”

She accused China of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, adding, “These are realities that Europe needs to confront.”

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged SCO partners to “oppose Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation” and to support multilateral trade systems.

In his meeting with Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the summit as a revival of “genuine multilateralism,” highlighting that such a security system would be more balanced than “Euro-centric and Euro-Atlantic models” and would not allow any one country to guarantee its security at the expense of others.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was “very disappointed” with Putin and, referring to the massive parade in China, remarked, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America.”

Responding to the comment, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said, “No one has been conspiring, no one has been plotting anything, no conspiracies,” stressing that “no one even had such a thought.”

Kyiv had previously criticized China’s role in supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia and recently urged Beijing to react to the attacks on Ukraine. Zelensky said earlier, “China has repeatedly called for not expanding the war and for a ceasefire. Yet this is not happening because of Russia.”