Putin and Kim Jong Un to Join Chinese Parade in Show of Defiance Toward the West

Updated At : 11:41 AM Aug 28, 2025 IST

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will attend a military parade in Beijing next week, marking their first public appearance alongside President Xi Jinping in what is widely seen as a joint challenge to Western pressure.

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, 26 foreign heads of state and government will participate in Thursday’s parade. With the exception of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, no Western leaders are expected to attend.

The September 3 “Victory Day” parade — commemorating Japan’s formal surrender in World War II — will serve as both a showcase of China’s expanding military might and a symbolic display of solidarity between Beijing, the Global South, and sanctions-hit Russia and North Korea.

Russia, regarded by Beijing as a strategic partner, continues to face waves of Western sanctions imposed since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leaving its economy teetering on the brink of recession. Putin, wanted by the International Criminal Court, last visited China in 2024.

North Korea, a formal treaty ally of China, has been under United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Kim last traveled to China in January 2019.

Other leaders expected at the parade include Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. The United Nations will be represented by Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, a former Chinese diplomat and ambassador.

On the day of the event, Xi Jinping will inspect thousands of troops at Tiananmen Square alongside senior Chinese officials and visiting dignitaries. The parade — one of China’s largest in recent years — is set to feature fighter jets, missile defense systems, and hypersonic weapons, underscoring the country’s technological and military ambitions.