North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un will attend a military parade in Beijing next week alongside Russia's Vladimir Putin, China has said, in what will be a landmark visit.
This is Kim's first multilateral international meeting, making the event a diplomatic win for China's Xi Jinping who has been pushing for a new Beijing-led world order.
It allows Xi to signal his influence – although limited – on both Putin and Kim at a time when Washington is attempting to make a deal with Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump is not attending but said earlier this week that he wanted to meet Kim, whose growing nuclear arsenal and support for Russia have rattled the West.
China's 'Victory Day' parade will mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two.
Putin and Kim will be among 26 other heads of state expected to attend the parade, which is the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959.
China is likely to display its latest weaponry, including hundreds of aircraft, tanks, and anti-drone systems. This will be the first unveiling of its military's new force structure on parade.
The highly choreographed event will see tens of thousands of military personnel march through Tiananmen Square, with troops from 45 different units.
Beijing praised its neighbor for their decades-long 'traditional friendship' and stated they will continue to collaborate on 'regional peace and stability'.
Kim’s attendance this year is also significant as it indicates a step up from China's last Victory Day parade in 2015, when Pyongyang sent a top official instead of the leader.
This meeting comes six years after Kim’s last visit to Beijing, which saw him interacting more freely with world leaders, a rarity for the isolated North Korean leader.
Next week's event arrives before a potential meeting between Trump and Xi, adding more context and significance to the international diplomatic landscape.
