Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will join Chinese President Xi Jinping at a grand military parade in Beijing next week, their first joint public appearance amid mounting Western pressure.
The September 3 “Victory Day” event will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. China’s foreign ministry said 26 foreign heads of state and government are expected, though Western leaders will largely be absent except for Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, the only European Union leader confirmed to attend.
The gathering highlights Beijing’s closer alignment with Moscow and Pyongyang—both under heavy international sanctions. For Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court warrant, it will be his first visit to China since 2024. Kim last traveled to Beijing in 2019.
Other leaders expected include Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Iranian President Masoud Pezashkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. The United Nations will be represented by Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua.
The parade at Tiananmen Square will showcase tens of thousands of troops and advanced weaponry such as hypersonic missiles, missile defense systems, and modern fighter jets. Xi is expected to review the formations alongside visiting dignitaries, underscoring China’s bid to project itself as a central military power in global affairs.
Analysts say the event is intended to signal solidarity between China, Russia, and North Korea, while also reinforcing Beijing’s outreach to partners across the Global South in the face of growing rivalry with the West.
