BEIJING: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, will participate in the Victory Day military parade scheduled for next week in Beijing. This parade marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the China-Japan War and the conclusion of World War II, with leaders from 26 countries expected to attend. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be among the guests. This will be the first time Putin and Kim join Chinese President Xi Jinping at a joint event, especially as all three countries face increasing pressures from the West. Aside from the Prime Minister of Slovakia, no Western leaders will attend the ceremony. Analysts view the presence of the Russian and North Korean leaders at the parade as a sign of political and military solidarity among the three nations against the Western bloc. China continues to support Russia as a strategic partner, while Moscow faces extensive sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine. Putin had visited China last year as well. Kim Jong Un, whose country has been under UN sanctions since 2006 due to nuclear and missile tests, last visited China in January 2019.
