Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will join Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military parade in Beijing next week, marking their first joint public appearance and underscoring a show of unity against mounting Western pressure.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry, 26 foreign heads of state and government are expected to attend the September 3 “Victory Day” parade, commemorating Japan’s surrender in World War II. Notably, no Western leaders will be present, with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico the sole representative from the European Union.
Set against the backdrop of China’s growing military power, the gathering will highlight Beijing’s solidarity not only with the Global South but also with two heavily sanctioned states—Russia and North Korea. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have faced sweeping international restrictions, with Russia under multiple Western sanctions since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and North Korea subject to United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The parade will also mark significant returns for Putin and Kim. Putin, wanted by the International Criminal Court, last visited China in 2024, while Kim has not travelled to the country since 2019. Their presence alongside Xi is widely seen as a symbolic challenge to Western efforts to isolate their regimes.
Other international dignitaries expected include Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Iran’s President Masoud Pezashkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Serbia’s 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, a former Chinese diplomat.
On the day of the parade, Xi will review tens of thousands of troops at Tiananmen Square in a ceremony expected to be among China’s most elaborate military showcases in years. The highly choreographed display will feature advanced fighter aircraft, missile defence systems, and hypersonic weapons, underscoring China’s ambitions as a rising military power.
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