• China and Russia showed their military might this weekend, holding parades that highlighted recent technical achievements and global ambitions.

President Xi Jinping of China, above, used the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army to signal that he was counting on loyalty from the armed forces when he chooses a new leadership lineup later this year. “Always obey and follow the party,” Mr. Xi said.

Russia celebrated Navy Day with parades in St. Petersburg, as well as in Sevastopol, which was annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and at Tartus in Syria, where Russia is expanding its military presence.