Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin to Join Beijing Military Parade

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a massive military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing next week. The event is being held to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and is one of China’s largest displays of military capability.

Attention is focused on the possibility of the three top leaders—China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un—standing together. Analysts believe this will send a message of new power unity in the global diplomatic arena.

North Korea’s state media KCNA confirmed that this will be Kim Jong Un’s first visit to China since 2019. Previously, in 2023, he traveled to Russia’s Far East to meet with Putin.

China’s Vice Foreign Minister Hong Lei stated that heads of state and government from 26 countries will participate in the parade. This includes Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, and several pro-Russian European leaders. However, no top leaders from the Western world have responded to the invitation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Tianjin this week for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference but will not attend the parade.

The 70-minute event will feature over 10,000 troops, hundreds of aircraft, and advanced military equipment. The parade will reflect Xi Jinping’s efforts to modernize China’s military, showcasing hypersonic weapons, drones, electronic jamming systems, and advanced missile defense technology for the first time.

China has long been North Korea’s main political and economic supporter. In recent years, however, the close ties between North Korea and Russia have added new complexity to East Asian geopolitics. Last year, Kim and Putin signed a defense pact in Pyongyang, promising immediate military support if either country is attacked.

Vice Foreign Minister Hong Lei said, “The traditional friendship between China and North Korea has been established since World War II. We aim to work closely with North Korea to promote socialist development, regional peace, and international justice.”