Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un are set to attend a military parade in Beijing, marking the first time the two leaders will appear publicly with President Xi Jinping. This joint appearance is a clear show of collective defiance amid Western pressure.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry, no major Western leaders will be among the 26 foreign heads of state and government attending the parade next week, with the sole exception of Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, an EU member state.
Against the backdrop of China’s growing military might at the “Victory Day” parade on September 3, the three leaders will project a powerful show of solidarity—not just between China and the Global South but also with sanctions-hit Russia and North Korea. Russia, a key strategic partner for Beijing, has faced multiple rounds of Western sanctions since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, pushing its economy to the brink of recession. Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, last visited China in 2024.
North Korea, a formal treaty ally of China, has been under United Nations Security Council sanctions since 2006 due to its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Kim Jong Un’s last visit to China was in January 2019.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei stated at a news conference that other attendees will include Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Iran’s President Masoud Pezashkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic will also be present.
The United Nations will be represented by Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, who previously held various roles in the Chinese foreign ministry, including serving as the Chinese ambassador to Italy, San Marino, and Myanmar.
On the day of the parade, President Xi Jinping will review tens of thousands of troops in Tiananmen Square, accompanied by the foreign dignitaries and senior Chinese leaders. The highly choreographed event, which is expected to be one of China’s largest parades in years, will showcase cutting-edge equipment, including fighter jets, missile defense systems, and hypersonic weapons.
