Key points
- The parade will be held in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3
- It commemorates 80th anniversary of the end of World War II
- Millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan
ISLAMABAD: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among more than two dozen foreign leaders to attend China’s massive military parade next week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.
The parade, to be held in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3, is part of China’s commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II following Japan’s formal surrender, according to CNN.
Millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s, which became part of a global conflict following Tokyo’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Blockbuster events
China has held a series of blockbuster events in recent years to commemorate its wartime resistance, vowing that China will never be brought to its knees in such a way again.
The parade on September 3 will feature ground troops marching in formation, armoured columns, aerial echelons and other high-tech fighting gear.
Show of unity
China holds the parade as a show of unity with other countries.
Beijing’s assistant minister of foreign affairs, Hong Lei, announced Kim’s attendance at a press conference on Thursday morning.
“The Chinese people will join hands with the people of all countries to firmly defend the victories of World War II,” Hong told reporters.
“At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and changes, with the deficit in world peace continuing to grow,” he added.
Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency also announced the visit, saying Kim will be a guest “at the invitation of Comrade Xi Jinping”.
“Cannot be bullied”
China is North Korea’s most important ally, their relationship forged in the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s.
Beijing has historically provided diplomatic, economic and political support to the country, which remains under crippling international sanctions.
Kim’s upcoming visit to Beijing is intended to show “the strength” of the ties between the two countries, said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.
The visit would signal that “the United States cannot bully them into submission”, Chong told AFP.
There was “some talk previously that (North Korea) has gone closer to Moscow’s orbit at the expense of Beijing”, said Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
“Relationship is still going strong”
“That may still unfold but I think Kim’s visit underlines the fact that this relationship is still going strong,” Loh told AFP.
“It will also further demonstrate the influence and pulling power of China,” he added.
