Putin and Kim Jong will send a strong message to the West by joining those Chinese parades
Putin, Kim Jong Un attend Chinese parade: In a display of collective defiance against Western pressure, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in a military parade in Beijing, their first public appearance together with President Xi Jinping.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday that, save from Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, a member of the European Union, none of the 26 foreign heads of state and government will be attending the parade next week.
During the “Victory Day” parade on September 3, the three leaders will display a significant display of solidarity with sanctions-hit North Korea and Russia, as well as with China and the Global South, against the background of China’s increasing military strength.
Following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia—which Beijing views as a vital ally—has been subjected to many rounds of Western sanctions, and its economy is in danger of going into recession. The last time Putin visited China was in 2024. He is sought by the International Criminal Court.
The United Nations Security Council has sanctioned North Korea, a recognized treaty partner of China, since 2006 for developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In January 2019, Kim made his most recent trip to China.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei announced at a press conference that South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Iran’s President Masoud Pezashkian, and Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko would all be attending the parade commemorating Japan’s official surrender during World War II.
Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, will also be present during the procession. Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, who has held a number of positions in the Chinese foreign ministry, including stints as China’s ambassador to Italy, San Marino, and Myanmar, will represent the country at the UN.
Along with top Chinese officials and international guests, President Xi Jinping will evaluate tens of thousands of soldiers at Tiananmen Square on that day.
The elaborately planned procession, which is expected to be among China’s biggest in recent memory, will include advanced machinery like as fighter planes, missile defense systems, and hypersonic weaponry.