China is expected to hold a rare military parade later this year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with Russian President Vladimir Putin likely to attend, according to diplomatic sources.
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Putin will travel to Beijing for the parade which will commemorate the September 3 anniversary, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
The source said the Russian leader was likely to visit the country for a few days as he would also take part in the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which will be hosted by China and held around the same time.
According to another source, Putin is expected to visit other Chinese cities during the trip.
In a phone call between the Chinese and Russian leaders on Monday, President Xi Jinping said the two neighbours had steadily advanced cooperation in various fields, according to the Chinese readout.
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That included “commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world’s anti-fascist war”.