North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to Beijing in early September to attend a military parade marking Japan's surrender in World War II, China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will also attend in the show of solidarity among China, Russia and North Korea, as well as resistance to US-led alliances in Asia.

Why is Kim Jong Un visiting China?

Kim was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping to join the September 3 "Victory Day" parade. Chinese officials described North Korea as a "friendly neighbor" and stressed the two countries' shared history of fighting in World War II. Kim last visited Beijing in January 2019 for talks with Xi.

Since the pandemic, Kim has only left North Korea once, for a 2023 summit with Putin in Russia's Far East. Experts say this may be his first time meeting multiple leaders at once. Analysts believe Kim wants to boost his global stature and signal that Pyongyang has powerful allies.

North Korea remains under heavy international sanctions for its nuclear and missile programs. However, their effect has weakened as Pyongyang deepens military and economic ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Pyongyang would also be seeking to improve ties with China to revive its troubled economy, with a limit to what it can get from dealings with Russia — particularly after any end to the war in Ukraine.

Kim's visit to China could be tied to efforts to revive diplomacy with former US President Donald Trump, who has often emphasized his relationship with the North Korean leader and voiced hopes of resuming talks. So far, however, Pyongyang has rejected Trump’s outreach.

Putin's chance to avoid pariah status

Russia, described by Beijing as a strategic partner, has faced increasing international isolation since Moscow's forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin's visit to China offers an opportunity for him to shed his pariah status abroad. He and more than 20 other world leaders will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, a northern port city, from August 31 to September 1.

Russia has faced repeated rounds of Western sanctions, leaving its economy close to recession.

The Kremlin on Wednesday called the upcoming visit "unprecedented."

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko