China, Russia, North Korea Leaders To Unite At Beijing Military Parade In Show Of Defiance

The leaders of China, Russia and North Korea will unite at a Beijing military parade, signalling defiance amid Western pressure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are set to attend a grand military parade in Beijing next week, marking their first public appearance alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, is expected to project a strong message of unity among the three leaders amid heightened Western pressure.

According to China’s foreign ministry, 26 foreign heads of state and government will be present at the September 3 “Victory Day” parade. Notably absent will be leaders from Western powers, with the exception of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, the only European Union leader confirmed to attend.

The gathering underscores Beijing’s growing military confidence and its alignment with both Russia and North Korea—two countries facing international isolation and sweeping sanctions. Russia, under Western sanctions since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has seen its economy slide towards recession. For Putin, who remains wanted by the International Criminal Court, this will mark his first trip to China since 2024.

North Korea, China’s long-standing treaty ally, has been under United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Kim’s last visit to Beijing was in 2019.

Other world leaders expected at the event 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 veteran Chinese diplomat.

The highly choreographed parade at Tiananmen Square will feature tens of thousands of troops and advanced weaponry, including hypersonic missiles, missile defence systems, and state-of-the-art fighter jets. President Xi will review the formations alongside the visiting dignitaries, underscoring China’s determination to position itself as a military power at the heart of global geopolitics.

Analysts say the spectacle is designed to signal solidarity not just among China, Russia, and North Korea, but also between Beijing and its partners across the Global South, at a time of deepening geopolitical rivalry with the West.