Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un to make first public appearance together at Beijing military parade

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among 26 heads of state traveling to China on September 3 for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In June, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that Putin would be in China for four days and that his visit would include “comprehensive bilateral talks.” On August 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the visit as “truly unprecedented” and confirmed that preparations were underway.

Reuters noted that Putin and Kim’s meeting in Beijing will be their first public appearance together with Chinese President Xi Jinping, describing the event as “a show of collective defiance amid Western pressure.”