North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will attend a huge military parade in China next week to mark 80 years since the end of World War II, both countries announced on Thursday.
Some 26 leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, will also attend the parade that will showcase China's latest equipment and see Xi Jinping inspect troops in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
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.
Beijing's Communist Party 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, armored columns, aerial echelons and other high-tech fighting gear.
China has touted the parade as a show of unity with other countries.
According to AFP, 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.”
