North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a major military parade in Beijing next week to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, China’s Foreign Ministry has announced.
The event, called the “Victory Day” parade, will take place in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3, the day Japan officially surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945. The parade will showcase thousands of troops and China’s latest military technology.
Alongside Kim and Putin, several other world leaders will be present, including:
Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia
South Korea will send Woo Won-shik, the speaker of its National Assembly. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico will be the only Western leader attending.
It is still unclear whether Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend. Modi will already be in China that week for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. India and China have had tense relations since a border clash in 2020, but ties have improved recently as both countries share economic disagreements with the United States, especially over tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The parade is not just about history—it highlights growing political and military partnerships. North Korea remains a close ally of China, which supports Pyongyang economically despite international sanctions over its nuclear program.
China has also deepened ties with Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, continuing to buy Russian energy and providing technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. Xi Jinping and Putin signed a “no limits partnership” shortly before the war began.
Meanwhile, North Korea has supplied munitions and even soldiers to Russia during its war against Ukraine, further tightening their cooperation.
Kim’s last visit to China was in 2019, while Putin visited in 2024. Their joint appearance next week signals a united front among these nations as they strengthen strategic ties in the face of Western sanctions and pressure.
