Parade in Beijing as a demonstration of the "Axis of Coup"

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be surrounded by the leaders of some of the world's most heavily sanctioned countries - Russia, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar - at a military parade next week in Beijing, in a show of solidarity against the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will attend the “Victory Day” parade on September 3, which marks the end of World War II after the official surrender of Japan - which will be the first time the two have appeared in public together with Xi.

Iranian President Massoud Pazakhstani is also expected to be on the podium as tens of thousands of soldiers march through the Chinese capital, rounding out the four that Western political and economic analysts have described as the "Axis of Coup," Reuters writes.

Myanmar's military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who rarely travels abroad, will also attend, China's Foreign Ministry said.

Almost no Western leaders will be among the 26 heads of state or government attending the parade, which political analysts say will showcase Xi's influence over countries determined to reshape the Western-dominated world order.

“Xi Jinping is trying to show that he is very strong, that he is still powerful and well-received in China,” said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

“When Xi was just a regional leader, he looked up to Putin and saw in him the type of leader he could learn from - and now he is a world leader. Having Kim by his side further emphasizes that Xi is also a global leader today.”

Almost no Western leaders will be among the 26 heads of state or government attending the parade, which political analysts say will demonstrate Xi's influence over countries determined to reshape the Western-dominated world order.

A loose coalition of states determined to reshape the Western-dominated world order, the “Axis of Subversion,” seeks to undermine United States interests, whether over Taiwan or by blocking sea lanes, and to weaken Western sanctions by providing each other with economic support, analysts say.

Reuters writes that the only Western heads of state or government who will attend the events in Beijing are Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, a member of the European Union (EU), and Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia.

Fico opposes imposing sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine and has broken with the EU's stance by visiting Moscow. Vučić also visited Moscow in May and wants good relations with Russia and China, but says Serbia remains committed to joining the EU.

On August 25, Vučić stated that he had discussed the agenda of his upcoming meeting with the Chinese President with Chinese Ambassador Li Ming, but it was not stated at the time when or where it would take place.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin and Vučić will discuss Russian-Serbian cooperation, including cooperation in the energy sector, during their meeting in China.

Russia, which Beijing considers a strategic partner, has been hit by multiple rounds of Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and its economy is teetering on the brink of recession.

Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crime charges for the illegal deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine, last visited China in 2024. He has been largely isolated by the West and has avoided making major concessions on Ukraine, while US President Donald Trump struggles to end the war.

North Korea, China's formal ally by treaty, has been under United Nations Security Council sanctions since 2006 for its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Kim last visited China in January 2019.

The New York Times reports that ties between North Korea and Russia have deepened sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has provided Moscow with much-needed weapons and soldiers. Western officials suspect that Pyongyang has received food, oil, money and military technology from Moscow in return.

However, as the Times adds, North Korea still depends on China for almost all of its foreign trade. Kim's trip to Beijing suggests he wants to strengthen that relationship while also expanding ties with Moscow.

Among other things, North Korea hopes that Beijing will start sending Chinese tourists to the country again. Tourism is one of the few industries not covered by UN sanctions.

The American newspaper writes that in recent months, both Seoul and Washington have been trying to win over Kim. Just this week, at the White House, South Korean President Lee Jae-myong and Trump expressed interest in meeting with Kim. Lee even suggested that Trump travel to South Korea in October to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and try to meet with Kim there. According to a statement from Lee's office, Trump has expressed interest in the idea.

But there is no indication that Kim wants to talk to either of them. North Korea has said that while Kim's personal relationship with Trump is "not bad," it will not re-enter talks to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula as long as Washington demands that he give up nuclear weapons.

China, the world's second-largest economy, buys about 90 percent of Iran's oil exports under sanctions and continues to source rare earth metals from Myanmar, which are crucial for the production of wind turbines, medical devices and electric vehicles.

Other leaders attending the parade, which will be one of the largest in China in recent years, include Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and South Korean National Assembly Speaker Wu Won-shik, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei told a news conference.

The United Nations will be represented by Assistant Secretary-General Li Junhua, who previously held various positions in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Chinese ambassador to Italy, San Marino and Myanmar.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will attend the parade, Hong said. He made no mention of guests from Italy or Germany, the other two Axis powers during World War II.