Overview

• China’s Foreign Ministry and North Korea’s KCNA confirmed Kim Jong Un will visit at Xi Jinping’s invitation to attend the Sept. 3 parade, with Vladimir Putin also on the 26-leader guest list.
• Kim’s trip would be his first to China since 2019 and his first appearance at a multilateral gathering with other heads of state.
• The event in Tiananmen Square will mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender and will feature tens of thousands of troops and advanced weapons in a high-profile display.
• Western participation is sparse, with Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico cited as the only Western head of government attending; South Korea will send National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.
• Beijing has not confirmed whether Xi, Putin and Kim will hold bilateral talks or a three-way summit during the celebrations.