Autocratic Leaders Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping to Unite at China’s Military Parade Marking WWII Anniversary
Chinese Foreign Minister announced on Thursday that more than two dozen foreign leaders, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, will attend China’s grand military parade next week in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The event is part of China’s commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II following Japan’s formal surrender.
The military parade on September 3 will bring together three autocratic leaders – Kim, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping – for a significant photo-op atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing, symbolizing unity amidst global uncertainty.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA confirmed Kim’s attendance, marking his first trip to China since 2019 and the North Korean leader’s 10th foreign trip since assuming power in 2011. Kim last left his isolated country in 2023 for a meeting with Putin at a remote spaceport in Russia’s far east.
The parade offers Kim, who leads the world’s most heavily sanctioned regime, an opportunity to appear alongside other global leaders gravitating toward an alternative world order championed by Xi and Putin. Confirmation of Kim’s attendance comes shortly after US President Donald Trump expressed his desire for a meeting with Kim this year.
As geopolitical tensions rise due to Trump’s shifting American alliances and partnerships, China is showcasing its military strength. This display also follows China’s increasingly assertive stance toward Taiwan and territorial disputes with neighboring countries.
A total of 26 foreign heads of state and government will attend the parade, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Notably absent is Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India – Pakistan’s arch-rival, who will be in Tianjin for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit this weekend.
Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, serving as that country’s acting president after a military coup, and European leaders Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Slovakia’s Robert Fico will also attend. Western leaders from major capitals are absent, despite China’s critical role in the Pacific Theater of World War II against Japan’s full-scale invasion.
The parade will feature over 10,000 troops, more than 100 aircraft, and hundreds of ground equipment, showcasing China’s growing military power under Xi, who prioritizes the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The spectacle offers a glimpse into China’s advanced military technology.
Beijing has long been North Korea’s main political and economic patron, providing crucial support for its heavily sanctioned economy and sharing a mutual defense treaty since 1961. In recent years, North Korea has strengthened ties with Russia amidst Moscow’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine, complicating East Asia’s geopolitical landscape and China’s efforts to maintain regional stability.
Xi, Putin’s key supporter, has observed the new alliance between Putin and Kim, which includes North Korea sending troops to join Russia’s war on Ukraine. Last year, they signed a landmark defense pact in Pyongyang and pledged immediate military assistance if either is attacked, causing concern among the US and its Asian allies.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei highlighted China and North Korea’s “traditional friendship” during Thursday’s press conference, citing their mutual support against Japan’s invasion eight decades ago. He emphasized China’s commitment to working closely with North Korea to strengthen exchanges, advance socialist construction, and promote regional peace and stability while safeguarding international fairness and justice.