North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will join Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and more than 20 other heads of state and dignitaries at Beijing’s military parade on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the “people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday (August 28, 2025).

China and North Korea are friendly neighbours, and Mr. Kim’s visit, his first since 2019, will mark a new chapter in the traditional friendship between the two countries, China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei said at a press briefing on Thursday (August 28). China is ready to work with North Korea to “advance socialist development and continue close coordination for peace, stability, and justice”, he said.

“Upholding, consolidating, and developing the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] is a firm position of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government,” Mr. Hong said.

The military parade, which will take place right after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1, will also be attended by most of the leaders from the SCO including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to arrive in Tianjin from Japan for the summit this weekend, has not been mentioned in the list of leaders attending the parade.

The announcement of the first-of-its-kind joint public appearance of Mr. Xi, Mr. Kim, and Mr. Putin, comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would like to meet Mr. Kim this year, touting his “good relationship” with the North Korean leader. South Korea’s parliament Speaker Woo Won-shik is also expected to attend the event.

The event also marks the strengthening Global South amid the “Liberation Day” tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump. The Global South is no longer a silent majority of a group of countries lagging behind, but represents a “new hope”, Mr. Hong said, adding that China stands ready to work with the Global South for inclusive economic globalisation and world peace.

While Japan has been reported to have told world leaders to “carefully consider” their participation in the event given its “anti-Japanese overtones”, Mr. Hong accused Japan of seeking to distort history, honour war criminals and justify their crimes. Japan’s increased defence budget and ease of arms export aroused strong skepticism whether it is genuinely committed to defence-oriented policies and peaceful development, he said, urging Japan to pursue peaceful development and friendship.

The writer is in China at the invitation of the China Public Diplomacy Association