Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will join Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive military parade in Beijing next week.
It will be their first public appearance together, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
China says 26 foreign heads of state and government will attend the September 3 “Victory Day” parade.
According to Beijing’s foreign ministry, no Western leaders will be present, except Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, the only EU leader confirmed.
For observers, the absence of the West is not accidental. The event is being read as a show of strength against sanctions, isolation, and growing Western pressure.
The gathering brings together three leaders who face deep rifts with Washington and its allies. Putin remains wanted by the International Criminal Court. Kim is under long-standing UN sanctions over nuclear weapons. Xi is locked in trade and security tensions with the United States.
Putin has not travelled to China since 2024. Kim’s last visit to Beijing was in 2019.
Beijing Projects Power
The parade at Tiananmen Square will be grand and highly choreographed. Tens of thousands of troops will march in step. Advanced weaponry, hypersonic missiles, missile defence systems, and new fighter jets will be on display.
President Xi will review the military formations with Putin, Kim, and other world leaders standing by his side.
China wants the images to tell a story — that it is no longer a quiet power, but one ready to stand at the centre of global geopolitics.
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 also be represented by Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, a Chinese diplomat.
A Signal to the World
Analysts say the parade will show solidarity not only between China, Russia, and North Korea, but also with many partners across the Global South.
It comes at a time when Western powers are tightening sanctions and deepening military alliances.
One analyst put it this way: “This is not just about history. It is about the future balance of power.”
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