China's Victory Day Parade: Who's Attending The Grand Military Display?

China is hosting a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the wider World Anti-Fascist War.

The event set to take place today, serves as a reminder of China’s significant and prolonged role in World War II.

Beyond honouring historical memory and fallen heroes, the parade is a demonstration of China's advancing military modernisation and geopolitical influence.

The event's diplomatic significance comes from the attendance of select group of world leaders. According to China’s Foreign Ministry, 26 foreign heads of state and government were invited, with the most notable attendees being Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

It is the first time a North Korean leader is attending a Chinese military parade in 66 years, and the first time the trio of Xi, Putin, and Kim have appeared together in public.

Other attendees include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Most major Western leaders, including those from the U.S. and key European nations, have opted not to attend. The only European leaders attending are the prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, and the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić,, both of whom have shown a willingness to maintain close ties with Moscow.