Xi Jinping Hosts World Leaders in Beijing Ahead of Victory Day Celebrations

President Xi Jinping convened a series of high-level meetings on September 2, 2025, in Beijing, welcoming counterparts from Russia, North Korea, Iran, Malaysia, and Mongolia as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Xi began the day at the Great Hall of the People with Russian President Vladimir Putin, underscoring that “Sino-Russian relations have withstood the tests of international turbulence” and pledging deeper strategic coordination, mutual support on core interests, and the launch of landmark cooperation projects in energy, aerospace, and artificial intelligence. Shortly thereafter, Xi received Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, affirming that China places its relationship with Iran at the forefront of its Middle East diplomacy and pledging joint efforts on trade, clean energy, and people-to-people exchanges under the Global Governance Initiative.

Simultaneously, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing by armored train, marking his first attendance at a Chinese Victory Day parade in 66 years. Xi’s simultaneous hosting of Putin and Kim signaled a show of solidarity with nations often at odds with Western powers and set the stage for a grand military parade celebrating China’s rising global influence.

In the afternoon, Xi conducted the seventh trilateral summit with President Putin and Mongolia’s President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, highlighting steady progress on trade, technology, and ecological protection under the SCO framework and calling for the elimination of external interference to ensure high-quality development of the China-Russia-Mongolia partnership. That evening, Xi met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, declaring the start of a “Golden 50 Years” in China-Malaysia relations and identifying priorities in artificial intelligence, new energy, and infrastructure connectivity such as the East Coast Rail Link.

These diplomatic engagements precede Wednesday’s Victory Day military parade in Tiananmen Square, where Xi will review troops and deliver a keynote address reflecting his vision for a new global order. Heightened security measures across Beijing and the presence of over 20 foreign leaders underscore the parade’s significance as China’s largest military display and Xi’s strategy of projecting national cohesion and strategic partnerships on the world stage.