Overview

• Chinese and North Korean state announcements confirm Kim's attendance—his first China trip since 2019—with Putin listed among 26 invited leaders.
• The Tiananmen Square parade is part of commemorations marking 80 years since Japan's surrender in World War II.
• Organizers say the 70-minute showcase will feature over 10,000 troops, more than 100 aircraft, and hundreds of domestically built systems including advanced drones, electronic warfare gear, hypersonic weapons, air defenses, and strategic missiles.
• Major Western leaders will be absent, while guests include Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif, Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing, and the leaders of Serbia and Slovakia.
• The gathering underscores China's role as North Korea's primary economic partner even as Pyongyang tightens security cooperation with Russia through a 2024 defense pact and reported troop deployments to Ukraine.