Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan has made his first public appearance in three months, appearing at an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the victory against the Japanese invasion during World War II.

Members of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and representatives of Beijing’s different sectors attended the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to commemorate the occasion. It has been a point of concern as to whether Wang, who was not seen in public since May, would appear at the event.

Wang was considered a close aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping as he was solidifying his power. But rumors have been circulating that the two’s relationship has since soured.

Speculation of the apparent falling out has mounted after the July arrest of Ren Zhiqiang, former boss of state-owned Huayuan Group and a close friend of Wang, after he criticized Xi as “a clown who insists on being the emperor even when all his clothes were stripped off.”

A source told Apple Daily that Ren’s words angered Xi, with the Chinese president ordering that no one could step in to mitigate for the real estate tycoon. Wang has since been pushed to the sidelines and cannot as a counterbalance to Xi, the source said.

Meanwhile, Taiwan celebrated its Armed Forces Day on Thursday, as the American Institute in Taiwan posted a video on Facebook containing rare footage of joint-training exercises between American and Taiwanese soldiers. It came after a recent video released by AIT showing Taiwanese fighter jet pilots undergoing aerial refueling training at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

AIT also opened a new section at its building in Taipei’s Neihu district commemorating 126 American soldiers who died protecting Taiwan. It also displayed medals of honor awarded to two American soldiers who died in the First Taiwan Strait Crisis on Sept. 3, 1954, which was posthumously given by former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou in 2016.

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